Performance of the Khon Kaen Osteoporosis Study (KKOS) score for identifying osteoporosis in men.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the diagnostic performance of Khon Kaen Osteoporosis Study (KKOS) score in identifying osteoporosis in men. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a cross-sectional investigation in 230 men aged > or = 50 years. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the femoral neck and lumbar spine by DXA (DPX-IQ densitometer LUNAR Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin, USA). The KKOS score was calculated for each man using his age and weight. Men with KKOS scores < or = -1 and > -1 were classified as "high risk" and "low risk", respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of osteoporosis in the entire sample was 17% and 7.4% (n = 39, 17) by femoral neck BMD and lumbar spine BMD, respectively. Using the KKOS score, 80 (34.8%) men were classified as "high risk" (KKOS score < or = -1). The proportion of high risk individuals increased with advancing age, ranging from 16.2% in the 50-65 age group to 64.8% in the > 65 age group. Using BMD from DXA as a gold standard, the overall sensitivity and specificity of KKOS in identifying osteoporosis was 72.5% and 73.2%, respectively. However; the sensitivity was higher at the lumbar spine (94.1% vs. 71.8%) than the femoral neck, while the specificity was comparable. The PPV of KKOS was 36%; and was lower at the lumbar spine (20%) compared to the femoral neck (35%). In the present study, men were classified "high risk" from KKOS, the risk (odds ratio; OR) of osteoporosis at the femoral neck and/or lumbar spine was 7.19 (95% CI: 3.34-15.44). However, the risk of osteoporosis was higher in the younger age (50-65 yr) group (OR: 10.29, 95% CI: 3.31-31.94) compared with the older age (> 65 yr) group (OR: 3.65, 95% CI: 1.12-11.91). CONCLUSION: KKOS scoring system based on age and body weight, is a simple tool for clinicians to make a decision to further DXA testing for identifying osteoporosis in Thai men. This tool had a high sensitivity and specificity, but modest PPV.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its relationship to weight in the Thai population.

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been well-documented in Western Caucasian populations, there are few studies in non-Caucasian populations. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of MetS and to find an optimal BMI cut-off value for defining obesity in the Thai population. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A sample of 307 men and 295 healthy women aged between 20 and 90 years (average age of 45 years) who came for a health check-up clinic in Khon Kaen, a northeast province of Thailand, were studied. The present study was conducted between 2003 and 2004. The modified ATP III criteria were used to estimate the age-and-sex specific prevalence of MetS, in which a BMI of > or = 27 kg/m(2) for men and 25 kg/m(2) for women were used in place of waist circumference. In the Thai population, these BMI cut-offs were equivalent to a percent body fat of 25% and 35% in men and women respectively. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MetS was 15%, with no significant differences between men (15.3%) and women (14.6%). In men, the prevalence increased from 9.5% among the 20-39 age group to 24.7% among the 50+ age groups. In women, the respective prevalence was 7% and 29.5%. When BMI was removed from the classification ofMetS, the overall prevalence of "MetS-without-BMI" (still defined by the presence of at least 3 abnormalities) in both men and women was 7.8%. However the prevalence of MetS-without-BMI increased with higher BMI levels: among those with BMI < 25, the prevalence was 4.6% in men and 5.0% in women; among those with BMI > or = 25, the prevalence was 13% in men and 16% in women. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MetS in this semi-rural Thai population was 15%, which is as common as in Caucasian populations. In the Thai population, obesity was a major component of MetS.

Association between waist circumference and percentage body fat among rural Thais.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the association between waist circumference (WC) and percentage body fat (%BF) and to develop cut-off values and evaluate the accuracy of WC in the definition of obesity in rural Thai population. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross-sectional, epidemiologic study in 181 men and 255 women aged 50+/-16 yr (mean+/-SD; range: 20-84 yr) sampled by stratified clustering sampling method, was designed. Percentage body fat was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (GE Lunar Corp, Madison, WI). The "golden standard"for defining obesity was%BF > or = 25 in men and%BF > or = 35 in women. Waist circumference in centimeter was measured. RESULTS: In this study, the %BF-based prevalence of obesity in men and women was 8.3% and 44%, respectively. However using the WC cut-off (WHO) of 102 cm in men and 88 cm in women, only 1.7% of men and 24% of women were classified as obese. WC was a significant predictor of %BF, such that in men, a WC of 93 cm would predict a %BF of25%, and in women a WC of 84 cm would correspond to a %BF of 35%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0. 87 and 0. 88 in men and women, respectively. In conclusion, waist circumference is a reasonably useful indicator of obesity. CONCLUSION: The cut-off values of WC for diagnosing obesity should be lower in Thailand than in Western countries.