Race/ethnic differences in associations between bone mineral density and fracture history in older men

Summary

To determine whether there are race/ethnic differences in bone mineral density (BMD) by fracture history in men aged 65 years and older, we performed cross-sectional analysis in five large independent cohorts. Low BMD was associated with a higher prevalence of fracture in all cohorts, and the magnitude of the BMD differences by fracture status was similar across groups.

Introduction

We aimed to determine whether there are race/ethnic and geographic differences in bone mineral density by fracture history in men aged 65 years and older.

Method

The datasets included the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study (5,342 White, 243 African-American, 190 Asian, and 126 Hispanic), MrOS Hong Kong (1,968 Hong Kong Chinese), Tobago Bone Health Study (641 Afro-Caribbean), Namwon Study (1,834 Korean), and Dong-gu Study (2,057 Korean). The two Korean cohorts were combined.

Results

The prevalence of self-reported non-traumatic fracture was US white, 17.1 %; Afro-Caribbean, 5.5 %; US African-American, 15.1 %; US Hispanic, 13.7 %; US Asian, 10.5 %; Hong Kong Chinese, 5.6 %, and Korean, 5.1 %. The mean differences in hip and lumbar spine BMD between subjects with fracture and without fracture were statistically significant in all cohorts except US African American and US Asian men. There was a significant race/ethnic interaction for lumbar spine BMD by fracture status (p for interaction?=?0.02), which was driven by the small number of Hispanic men. There was no interaction for femoral neck or total hip BMD. There were no significant race/ethnic differences in the odds ratio of fracture by BMD.

Conclusions

Low BMD was associated with a higher prevalence of fracture in all cohorts and the magnitude of the BMD differences by fracture status was similar across groups suggesting homogeneity in the BMD–fracture relationship among older men.