人体双髋骨密度分布规律研究

目的 探索人体双髋骨密度(bone mineral density,BMD)的分布规律,为选择髋部感兴趣区提供依据.方法 用GE Lunar Prodigy型双能X线骨密度仪(dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry,DXA)测量受检者双髋BMD,感兴趣区选择股骨颈和全髋部.结果 共检测301例,其中男性135例,左右侧股骨颈BMD差值为(0.004±0.048)g/cm~2,左右侧全髋部BMD差值为(0.006±0.042)g/cm~2,差异均无统计学意义;高低侧股骨颈BMD差值为(0.038±0.029)g/cm~2[95%CI(0.034,0.043)],高低侧全髋部BMD差值为(0.035±0.025)g/cm~2[95%CI(0.030,0.039)].女性166例,左右侧股骨颈BMD差值为(0.006±0.040)g/cm~2,左右侧全髋部BMD差值为(0.003±0.036)g/cm~2,差异均无统计学意义;高低侧股骨颈BMD差值为(0.032±0.025)g/cm~2[95%CI(0.028,0.036)],高低侧全髋部BMD差值为(0.030±0.021)g/cm~2[95%CI(0.027,0.033)].无论男性还是女性,髋部股骨颈BMD与全髋部BMD呈正相关.结论 人体左右侧髋部感兴趣区BMD总体分布基本一致,但个体髋部存在优势侧与非优势侧,建议测量双侧髋部BMD,并报告较低的一侧.     

乌鲁木齐地区2711例骨密度调查研究

目的了解新疆乌鲁木齐地区正常汉族人群骨密度(BMD)的变化规律和骨质疏松症(OP) 的患病率。方法应用法国DMS公司生产的CHALLENGER型双能X线骨密度仪对乌鲁木齐地区汉族人群共2711名20～80岁居民进行腰椎2～4及股骨近端的骨密度测定。结果乌鲁木齐地区汉族人群男性、女性的腰椎及股骨近端的BMD峰值均出现在20～29岁年龄组,峰值后随着年龄的增长,而骨密度BMD降低,女性在50～59岁明显加速下降,男性没有加速下降现象。乌鲁木齐地区40岁以后OP患病率男性28．3％,女性OP患病率45．2％。男女性50～59岁以上,组间患病率有显著差异(P<0．05)。结论通过对乌鲁木齐地区汉族人群的骨密度变化规律及患病率研究, 为乌鲁木齐地区汉族人群的骨质疏松症诊断及治疗提供客观有效的依据。     

Long-term unilateral loading and bone mineral density and content in female squash players

We examined 19 female Finnish national level squash players and 19 healthy female controls with a dual energy x-ray absorptiometric (DXA) scanner for the determination of the association between long-term unilateral activity and bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) of the upper extremities. In players, the BMDs and the BMCs were significantly higher in each bone site of the playing extremity. The side-to-side difference was largest in the proximal humerus (BMD 15.6%, BMC 17.8%) and smallest in the ulnar shaft (BMD 5.6%, BMC 7.3%). In sex-, age-, weight-, and height-matched controls, the side-to-side differences were significantly smaller, ranging from 1.6% to 4.1%. The number of training years and elbow flexion strength correlated positively with the relative BMD and BMC in the humerus of the playing arm (r=0.632–0.685). The starting age training in turn correlated negatively (r=-0.483 to-0.577) with these bone parameters. Significantly larger side-to-side differences (average 22%) were found in players who had started their career before or during menarche than in those who had begun the training 1 year or more after the menarche (9%). These findings suggest that the bones of the playing extremity clearly benefit from active squash playing. The benefit is largest in humerus and smaller in the bone of the forearm. The benefit of playing is stronger if the athlete has started the training at or before menarche than after it. Thus, physical activity seems to best enhance bone mineralization at childhood and puberty, the time when the natural rapid increase in bone mass also occurs.     

Bone mineral density measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in healthy finnish women

Summary A cross-sectional study of 351 healthy Finnish women aged 20–76 years was done to establish reference values of bone mineral density (BMD) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The effects of age and of several physical and lifestyle factors on BMD of the lumbar spine and proximal femur (femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle area) were investigated. Altogether 58 women were excluded from the final analysis due to significant spinal osteoarthritis or other diseases or drugs known to influence calcium or bone metabolism. The precision of the method was 0.9, 1.2, 2.7, and 2.4% in the lumbar, femoral neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter area, respectively. Lumbar BMD was increased by 30% (P<0.001) in 15 patients with osteoarthritis (21% of women 50 years or older), but it was apparently unaffected in 5 cases with aortic calcification. Except for the trochanter area, BMD diminished along with age, and this was significant after the menopause. The peak of mean BMD was observed at the age of 31–35 years in the spine and at the age of 20–25 years in the femoral neck and Ward's triangle. BMD was in a positive relationship to weight both in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and to the use of oral contraceptives in premenopausal women and to that of estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. Labors and pregnancies had a weak positive effect on BMD in premenopausal women. As compared with nonusers premenopausal women who had used alcohol showed a slightly decreased BMD of Ward's triangle. In postmenopausal women there was a positive correlation between alcohol intake and BMD.     

体重体成分与骨密度的关系

为了研究体成分与骨密度（ＢＭＤ）之间的关系，因体重与ＢＭＤ显著相关，体成分各个组成相加等于体重，而体成分与ＢＭＤ的关系仍不清楚。方法随机选取２０６名１６～５２岁健康的男女性汉族人，用双能Ｘ射线吸收法（ＤＸＡ）测量ＢＭＤ与体成分，进行ＢＭＤ与体重，体成分的多元线性回归分析。结果体重，瘦组织（ＬＴＭ）与男女性的ＢＭＤ显著正相关，脂肪组织（ＦＴＭ）仅对女性全身，腰椎ＢＭＤ起显著性作用。结论影响男女性ＢＭＤ的体成分中，ＬＴＭ是主要因素，ＦＴＭ仅对女性ＢＭＤ有影响。本文较全面地研究了体成分与ＢＭＤ的关系。     

Vertebral bone mineral density measured laterally by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

The bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar vertebrae in the anteroposterior (AP) view may be overestimated in osteoarthritis or with aortic calcification, which are common in elderly. Furthermore, the risk of spinal crush fracture should be more closely related inversely to the BMD of the vertebral body than to that of the posterior arch. Therefore, we measured BMD of lumbar vertebrae in lateral (LAT) view (L2–L3), using a standard dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DEXA), thus eliminating most of the posterior spinal elements. The precision of BMD LAT measurement was determined both in vitro and in healthy volunteers. Then, we compared the capability of BMD LAT and BMD AP scans for monitoring bone loss related to age and for discriminating the BMD of postmenopausal women with nontraumatic vertebral fractures from that of young subjects. In vitro, when a spine phantom was placed in lateral position in the middle of 26 cm of water in order to simulate both soft-tissue thickness and X-ray source remoteness, the coefficient of variation (CV) of six repeated determinations of BMD was 1.0%. In vivo, the CV of paired BMD LAT measurements obtained in 20 healthy volunteers after repositioning was 2.8%. The age-related difference between a peak bone mass group estimated in a group of 27 healthy women aged 20 to 35 years and a group of 50 women aged 60 to 75 years, in whom neither vertebral fracture nor osteoporosis risk factors could be detected, were 21.7% and 37.6% in AP and LAT view, respectively. An arbitrary BMD fracture threshold was defined in AP and LAT views as the 90th percentile of the BMD value of a group of 22 osteoporotic women with vertebral fractures. The distribution of BMD AP and LAT above and below this threshold in 169 consecutively screened women without vertebral fracture was then analysed. In both AP and LAT views, 39.1% and 31.3% had BMD values above and below this threshold, respectively. Of the remaining, 16.0% had a BMD below this threshold only in AP and 13.6% only in LAT view. Thus, if BMD LAT was a better reflection of vertebral body bone mass than BMD AP, and thereby a better predictor of the resistance to crush fracture, our results would suggest that only the use of the standard AP view could under- or overestimate spinal fracture risk in about 30% of women screened for osteoporosis. In conclusion, our results indicate that BMD measurement in lateral view is feasible with a standard DEXA instrument. This mode of scanning, besides overcoming artefacts due to osteoarthritis of the posterior arch and aortic calcifications, appears to provide a greater sensitivity for assessing bone mass loss of the vertebral body than the standard anteroposterior scan.     

腰椎旋转角度对骨密度测量值影响的定量研究

目的定量分析腰椎旋转角度对双能X线法(Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry,DXA)测量腰椎骨密度值(Bone mineral density,BMD)的影响,并提出校正方法。方法模拟腰椎BMD标准测量方法,将5具成年男性腰椎标本放于特制的可旋转模具上。以5°为增加量,将标本从0°(标准前后位)逐渐旋转至45°,测量不同旋转角度状态下的腰椎BMD。同时,对标本进行X线摄片,根据Nash-Moe法评估椎体的旋转程度,并与DXA获得的图像进行比较。结果随着腰椎旋转角度增加,腰椎的投射面积逐渐增加,骨矿含量无显著性变化,骨密度值逐渐降低。相关性分析表明,腰椎旋转角度与投射面积呈正性相关,与BMD呈负性相关。当旋转度数至15°时,测量BMD值与0°值之间有显著性差异(P=0.001)。当旋转至45°时,BMD降低达21%。根据Nash-Moe法判断腰椎旋转程度,DXA法与X线法的符合率为90%。结论椎体旋转角度对腰椎骨密度值具有显著性影响,可以导致测量值较真实值偏低。对于存在腰椎旋转畸形患者,应当根据旋转角度校正骨密度,以避免过高估计患者骨质疏松严重程度。     

长期强的松治疗对绝经前SLE患者骨密度的影响

目的探讨长期强的松治疗对绝经前系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)患者骨密度的影响。方法142例SLE患者均为绝经前女性,年龄12~40岁(平均29·5岁)。正常对照78例女性,年龄15~39岁(平均28·9岁),排除影响骨代谢的各种急慢性疾病。应用HOLOGIC QDR4500双能量X线骨密度仪检测腰椎和股骨近端的骨密度值,测定血清雌二醇、雌三醇。结果①绝经前SLE患者骨量减少、骨质疏松发生率分别为42·96%、14·79%,均显著高于正常对照组(P值均<0·01);②骨质疏松和骨量减少患者服用强的松的时间、总剂量均显著高于骨量正常患者(P值均<0·01);③绝经前患者雌二醇与正常对照无显著差异,而雌三醇明显升高(P<0·01)。结论①长期服用强的松的绝经前SLE患者骨量减少和骨质疏松发生率均显著增高;②SLE患者骨量减少和骨质疏松的发生与使用强的松的时间和总剂量有关;③绝经前SLE患者雌三醇产生增多,可能对骨密度具有保护作用。     

Comparison of areal and estimated volumetric bone mineral density values between older men and women

We compared areal bone mineral density (BMD) of the total body (TBMD), antero-posterior lumbar spine at L3 (APS), lateral spine at L3 (LS) and femoral neck (FN). In order to understand better the effect of gender-related size differences on BMD, we also compared the estimated volumetric BMD at L3 (VLS) and the femoral neck (VFN). Subjects were asymptomatic women (n=22) and men (n=44) with an age range of 58–79 years. BMD at each site was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry using a Hologic 2000 in array mode. Results of the statistical analyses (ANOVA) showed the men to have significantly greater BMD at all areal sites [APS, LS (p<0.05); FN (p<0.01); TBMD (p<0.001)]. The two estimated volumetric comparisons, however, showed no gender differences. Results demonstrate how measures from areal BMD measures can be misleading when comparing groups of different size. In older men and women planar measures may overestimate gender differences in BMD.     

股骨近端骨密度的测量

双能X线骨密度仪检测骨密度是诊断骨质疏松症和疗效随访的金标准,特别是髋部骨密度的测量对于骨折的预测尤其测定部位本身骨折的预测作用较大.由于脊柱部位的骨密度测量值易受到脊柱退行性疾病的病理改变如退行性侧凸、骨赘增生、腰椎间盘突出等影响,测量的准确性下降.因而近年来欧美国家临床试验也好或者骨质疏松诊疗也好,大都以股骨近端的BMD测定为标准.本文就股骨近端解剖特点、骨密度测量的意义、方法以及测量的注意点作一个综述,以期帮助临床医生或技术员全面评估股骨近端骨密度测定的意义.     

A referent bone mineral density database for Chinese American women

Introduction While osteoporosis is common among women of Chinese descent, a readily available bone mineral density (BMD) referent database for Chinese American women does not exist. Fracture risk among this population is currently assessed using a Caucasian reference as well as diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis developed for postmenopausal Caucasian women. Many studies indicate that there are important racial differences in skeletal health and fracture risk, an observation that makes the application of Caucasian data to all groups problematical. This study was undertaken to establish a BMD referent database in Chinese American women and to compare it with a Caucasian female database. It is expected that a race-specific database will be useful in the assessment of bone health for Chinese American women. Methods Healthy Chinese American women (n=359), ages 20–90, were recruited. Along with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the total hip and lumbar spine, demographic, medical, familial, nutritional, and behavioral data were obtained. The mean and standard deviation for BMD at each site was calculated for each 10-year age group and compared to mean BMD values for Caucasian women supplied as found in the Hologic DXA instrument. Osteoporosis diagnosis rates for this cohort, calculated with the Caucasian and newly established Chinese American BMD referent values, were compared with each other. Results Compared with Caucasian women, Chinese American women have significantly lower BMD at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck across a wide spectrum of age groups. As a consequence, more than one-half of Chinese American women ≥50 years of age, who would be characterized as osteoporotic using a Caucasian referent, would not be diagnosed as such if a Chinese American referent were utilized. Conclusion Chinese American reference BMD values are significantly lower than those for Caucasian women. Future studies relating Chinese American BMD values to fracture risk are necessary in order to determine if ethnic database-derived T-scores would be more predictive of fracture risk and to develop meaningful diagnostic criteria for this population.     

老年男性2型糖尿病患者骨密度变化的分析

目的:探讨老年男性2型糖尿病患者骨密度的变化情况.方法:应用双能X线骨密度测定法测定52例老年男性2型糖尿病患者腰椎和股骨颈的骨密度,同时检测身高,体重,血钙、磷、碱性磷酸酶,24 h尿钙,计算体质指数,并与46例同龄正常健康老年男性进行比较.结果:老年男性2型糖尿病患者骨质疏松症的患病率为11.5%,正常对照组骨质疏松的患病率为3.8%.两组间体质指数,血钙、磷及碱性磷酸酶无明显差异,但糖尿病组24 h尿钙高于正常对照组,差异具有显著性(P＜0.01).结论:老年男性2型糖尿病患者的骨质疏松患病率较正常男性明显增高,是2型糖尿病的常见并发症.     

A comparison of two dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry systems for spinal bone mineral measurement

Summary Two dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) systems—the Hologic QDR-1000 and the Norland XR-26 bone densitometers—were evaluated in terms of precision, accuracy, linearity of response, X-ray exposure, and correlation of in vivo spinal measurements. In vitro precision and accuracy studies were performed using the Hologic anthropomorphic spine phantom; linearity of response was determined with increasing thicknesses of aluminum slabs and concentrations of Tums E-X in a constant-level water bath. Both systems were comparable in precision, achieving coefficients of variation (CVs) of less than 1% in bone mineral content (BMC, g), bone area (cm²), and bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm²). Both were accurate in their determination of BMC, bone area, and BMD with reference to the Hologic spine phantom. Both systems also showed good BMC and BMD linearity of response. Measured X-ray skin surface exposures for the Hologic and the Norland systems were 3.11 and 3.02 mR, respectively. In vivo spinal measurements (n=65) on the systems were highly correlated (BMC: r=0.993, SEE=1.770 g; area: r=0.984, SEE=1.713 cm²; BMD: r=0.990, SEE=0.028 g/cm²). In conclusion, both systems are comparable in terms of precision, accuracy, linearity of response, and exposure efficiency.     

Changes in bone density in women starting hormone replacement therapy compared with those in women already established on hormone replacement therapy

It is well established that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will prevent postmenopausal loss of bone. However, it is not known to what extent HRT will continue to affect bone mineral density (BMD) in women established on HRT compared with those commencing treatment. We recruited 48 healthy early postmenopausal women into a prospective, comparative study. Twenty-nine women had never taken HRT (group A) whilst 19 women were already taking HRT (group B) (conjugated equine oestrogens, 0.625 mg daily; mean (±SD) years of use 2.2 (1.5) years). All of the women were started on, or switched to, micronized 17-oestradiol (2 mg/day) continuously with dydroges-terone (10 mg/day) for the first 14 days of each cycle. BMD measurements were performed at the lumbar spine and proximal femur using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline and after 12 and 24 months of treatment. Group A showed a significantly greater increase in lumbar spine BMD after 12 months (mean (±SD)=5.3 (4.6)%) compared with group B (mean(±SD)=2.1 (2.1)%) and 24 months of treatment (group A, mean(±SD)=6.4 (5.2)%; group B, mean (±SD)=2.3 (2.6)%; bothp<0.01). Femoral neck and Ward's triangle BMD increased significantly in both groups but there were no significant differences between the groups. Baseline BMD correlated with change in lumbar spine BMD for women in group A after 12 months (r=–0.67,p<0.01) and 24 months of treatment (r=–0.59,p<0.05). These data demonstrate that HRT has the greatest effect on BMD when it is first administered, especially in those women with low BMD, but improvements may still be observed in women continuing HRT in the longer term.     

Effect of exercise training and detraining on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

We examined the effect of exercise training and detraining on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Thirty-five postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, aged 53–77 years, were randomly assigned to three groups: a control group (n = 20), a 2-year exercise training group (n = 8), and an 1-year exercise training plus 1-year detraining group (n = 7). Exercise training consisted of daily brisk walking and gymnastic training. Calcium lactate, 2.0 g, and 1α-hydroxyvitamin D₃, 1 μg were supplied daily to all subjects. No significant differences in initial lumbar BMD, measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were found among the three groups. The mean percent change in BMD compared with the baseline was significantly higher at 1 and 2 years in the exercise training group and at 1 year in the detraining group than in the control group, and did not differ significantly at 2 years between the detraining and control groups. These findings indicate that our exercise training program led to a significant increase in lumbar BMD in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis compared with the control, but that the BMD reverted toward a level that was not significantly different from the control with detraining. Continued exercise training is needed to maintain the bone mass gained through exercise training. Received: May 6, 2000 / Accepted: October 6, 2000     

Effects of pubertal development, height, weight, and grip strength on the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and hip in peripubertal Japanese children: Kyoto kids increase density in the skeleton study (Kyoto KIDS study)

The effects of growth and pubertal development on the bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and hip in peripubertal Japanese children were studied as a basis for evaluating the effects of modifiable factors on bone mass gain. The study comprised bone mass measurements in the lumbar spine (L2–4), femoral neck, and total hip using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry as well as body size measurements and detailed interviews on medical history and pubertal status. The subjects were 404 first-grade students in three junior high schools (129 boys and 275 girls, mean age 12.8 ± 0.3 years) with no diseases or medication that would affect bone metabolism. BMD at each site showed an increasing trend with physical growth and sexual maturity. Significant positive correlations were observed between BMD at every skeletal site and height, weight, and grip strength in pre- and postpubertal boys and girls. In multiple regression analyses, pubertal development had a significant positive independent effect on BMD at every skeletal site in girls, but not in boys. Physical and pubertal development showed major effects on BMD, but the magnitude of these effects differed in boys and girls, even if they were of the same age. We conclude that confounding factors due to physical and pubertal development should be taken into consideration in different ways for boys and girls in investigations on the effects of environmental or behavioral factors on bone mass acquisition in peripubertal children.     

Influence of patient's weight on dual-photon absorptiometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of bone mineral density

Lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (Hologic QDR 1000) and by¹⁵³Gd dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) (Novo Lab 22a) in 120 postmenopausal women. Though a high correlation existed between the two techniques, the ratio between DXA and DPA values was not constant. Using DXA we observed a higher dependence of BMD on weight than in the DPA measurements. To investigate the different behaviour of DXA and DPA machines with weight, we analysed the effects of increasing thickness of soft tissue equivalents on the BMD of the Hologic spine phantom and on the BMD equivalent of an aluminium standard tube. Increasing tissue-equivalent thickness caused the phantom BMD measured by DPA to decrease significantly but had not effect on the DXA measurements. The different behaviour of DPA and DXA equipment with regard to the phantoms could account for the differences observed in the relations between BMD and weight in the patients. Using multiple regression we studied the influence of weight and body mass index on the relation between BMD measured by the two techniques. The introduction of either of these variables into the regression resulted in an improvement of the prediction of the DXA values from the DPA values. However, the residual standard error of the estimate was still higher than the combined precision errors of the two methods, so that no simple relation allows a conversion of BMD_DPA into BMD_DXA. Our results confirm that BMD is positively correlated with weight in postmenopausal women; the influence of weight on BMD is blunted when the Novo Lab 22a DPA machine is used for measuring bone mineral.     

女性不同骨骼部位骨密度峰值和参考图的建立方法

目的建立女性不同骨骼部位骨密度(BMD)参考图和确定峰值BMD(PBMD). 方法 用DXA QDR 4500A型扇形束骨密度仪测量3378例5～96岁女性腰椎前后位(AP)和仰卧侧位、髋部和前臂的BMD,用8种回归模型拟合BMD随年龄的变化,找出最佳拟合模型方程建立参考图和确定PBMD.结果三次回归模型拟合程度最佳,即方程的决定系数(R2)最大.我们应用拟合曲线建立了BMD参考图,拟合曲线方程计算各骨骼部位最高的BMD(A方法)和BMD最高的5岁年龄组(B方法)及年龄横断面(C方法)计算PBMD,发现在大多数骨骼部位,三种方法计算的PBMD的差异有显著性.结论此研究建立了女性不同骨骼部位BMD参考图.应用拟合曲线方程计算PBMD(A方法)可获得符合骨骼部位特异性的真正的PBMD,不同方法计算PBMD将对PBMD和诊断骨质疏松产生严重影响.     

天津地区1695例骨密度调查研究

目的 调查天津地区部分人群骨密度，建立天津地区骨密度参考值数据库，为骨质疏松预防、诊断、治疗提供科学依据。方法 应用双能X线骨密度仪对天津地区1695例人群进行骨密度检测、分析。结果 天津地区男女骨密度峰值均在25～30岁年龄组，女性50岁、男性60岁以后骨密度丢失率、患病率升高，女性65～70岁年龄组骨密度均值城乡差异有显著性。结论 天津地区人群骨密度参考值，为骨质疏松的临床研究及流行病学比较奠定基础。     

Bone mineral density measurement in puerperal women as a predictor of persistent osteopenia

The clinical value of bone mineral density (BMD) measurement in puerperal women is uncertain. Our aim was to examine the effectiveness of BMD measurement in puerperal women for identification of persistent osteopenia and osteoporosis. We addressed cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in BMD, assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), in a postpartum female cohort from a single center in Japan. We measured BMD of the lumbar spine (L2–L4) with DXA in 2,436 puerperal women within 7 days of delivery (study 1). For 210 of the women, the BMD was measured again after 5–10 years (study 2). In study 1, 8 (0.3%) of the women were osteoporotic, 37 (17.0%) were osteopenic, and 2,013 (82.6%) were normal. In study 2, 27 (71.1%) of the 38 osteoporotic or osteopenic women identified in the puerperal scan were still osteopenic at the scan after 5–10 years. Over the same period, only 7 (4.1%) of 172 initially normal women became osteopenic. The mean of the BMD change per year was 0.15 ± 0.82%/year. Osteopenia was associated with a significantly lower body weight and body mass index at puerperium and after 5–10 years compared to normal women. The multiple regression analysis showed that BMD at the first scan negatively contributed and body weight changes between the scans positively significantly contributed to the BMD changes per year. Puerperal BMD remained static over the subsequent 5–10 years. If the women have a low BMD at this stage of their reproductive life, it tends not to improve over this time. Perhaps identification of this at-risk group may lead to effective interventions to reduce fracture risk in later life.