The relationship between the metabolic syndrome and its components and bone status in postmenopausal women.

Unlabelled: The association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and bone status remains controversial. We aimed to study the relationships between MS, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone metabolism in postmenopausal women.

Material and methods: MS was assessed in 218 white postmenopausal women. BMD (lumbar spine and hip) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Serum carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX), undercarboxylated osteocalcin (uOC), bone alkaline phosphate (BAP) and vitamin D were assayed.

Results: Postmenopausal women with MS had a significantly higher lumber spine BMD than women without MS (p < 0.05). A progressive increase of the BMD at both sites with the number of MS components was observed. Bone turnover markers and vitamin D levels were not significantly influenced by the presence of MS. BMD at both sites positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and glucose in unadjusted analysis. In multiple regression analysis, WC was independently associated with BMD at both sites, while hypertension was associated only with lumbar spine BMD.

Conclusions: In postmenopausal women, MS is associated with increased lumbar spine BMD and this relation is explained mainly by the higher BMI and WC in the MS group.