There are controversies in the literature as to the importance of the total body mass (TBM), lean mass (LM), and fat mass (FM) as determinant factors to the mineral bone density (MBD) in elder women. PURPOSE: To determine the relationship of the MBD to the TBM, LM and FM in elder women. METHODS: It was studied ninety-seven 60-70 years old women (mean 66.41 ± 4.82 years). None of the participants was using hormones or any other medication that could affect the bone metabolism, as well as they were not smokers or alcohol consumers. The body composition and the MBD of the femoral cervix (FC) and lumbar spine (LS) were measured through DXA, a lunar DPX-IQ. The relationship between TBM, LM, and FM as well as the FC and LS' MBD were performed separately using linear regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis was used to determine the TBM, LM, and FM on the FC and CL MBD. RESULTS: The TBM was strongly correlated to the FC and LS' MBD (r = 0.54, p = 0.01, and r = 0.37, p = 0.01, respectively) than the FT (r = 0.30, p = 0.01, and r = 0.19, p = 0.06, respectively) and the LM (r = 0.44, p = 0.01, and r = 0.26, p = 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: The TBM and LM were the body components that kept a significant relationship to the FC and LS' MBD. The FM showed a weak correlation to the FC and LS' MBD, and it was not significant in this last site. Thus, the TBM and the LM are the most significantly determinants among the body composition to the MBD in elder women.
Bone mass; Postmenopausal; Body mass
