Relationship between visceral adipose tissue and bone mineral density in Australian baby boomers.

Adiposity has a complex relationship with bone health. In 4865 Australian baby boomers (2642 females) aged 45-70 years, we found that higher visceral adipose tissue mass is associated with reduced bone density adjusting for body mass and lifestyle factors, suggesting that excess visceral fat may be deleterious to bone. INTRODUCTION: Increased body mass is associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD), but higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) may have a negative impact on bone health. In the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study, we examined associations between VAT mass and BMD in 4865 participants (2642 females) aged 45-70 years. METHODS: VAT mass and BMD of whole body, total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine were measured using DXA. VAT mass was examined as a continuous variable and in quartiles using sex-specific cut-offs. RESULTS: The mean age was 58.0 ± 5.8 years. Males had significantly higher BMI (28.3 ± 3.7 vs 27.5 ± 4.9 kg/m2) and VAT mass (1675 ± 878 vs 882 ± 600 g) than females (both P < 0.001). In males, after adjustment for age, body mass, height and lifestyle factors, VAT mass negatively associated with total body, total hip and femoral neck BMD (ß = - 0.153 to - 0.293, all P < 0.001). Males in the highest quartile of VAT mass (> 2200 g) had significantly lower BMD at all three sites than those in lower quartiles, with estimated BMD differences of 2.3-5.7% (all P < 0.05). In females, VAT mass negatively associated with total body, femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD (ß = - 0.067 to - 0.178, all P < 0.05) and those in the highest quartile (> 1250 g) had significantly lower total body BMD than other quartiles (by 1.7-3.7%, all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In middle-aged Australians, after covariate adjustment, higher DXA-derived VAT mass is associated with reduced bone density, suggesting that excess visceral fat may be deleterious to bone, especially in males.

Discordance between fat mass index and body mass index is associated with reduced bone mineral density in women but not in men: the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study.

The obesity-BMD relationship is complex. In 3045 middle-aged adults, we found that in women (but not men) with discordant fat mass index (FMI)/BMI categories, higher body fat for BMI was associated with lower BMD, suggesting that increased fat mass without an accompanying increase in lean mass may be deleterious to bone. INTRODUCTION: The relationship between obesity and BMD is complex. FMI (fat mass (kg) / height (m)2) is a more accurate measure of fatness than BMI, and depending on body composition, some individuals have discordant BMI/FMI categories. We examined associations between FMI, BMI and BMD in participants in the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study. METHODS: Body composition and BMD of the hip, spine and total body were measured using DXA in 3045 participants (1644 females) aged 45-67 years. Using standard BMI/FMI categories, the participants were classified as underweight/fat deficit, normal, overweight/excess fat, obese I and obese II-III. RESULTS: BMI and FMI categories were concordant in 77.3 % of females and 71.2 % of males. There were 12.9 % females and 13.2 % males in a higher FMI than BMI category (high body fat for BMI), whereas 9.8 % females and 15.6 % males were in a lower category (low body fat for BMI). Females with high body fat for BMI had significantly lower covariate-adjusted BMD at the femoral neck, total hip and total body (differences of 3.8, 5.1 and 2.6 %, respectively, all P < 0.05) than females with low body fat for BMI and lower total body BMD than women with concordant FMI/BMI (by 1.4 %, P = 0.04). In males, BMD did not differ significantly between those who were concordant or discordant for FMI/BMI categories. CONCLUSION: In women (but not men) with discordant FMI/BMI categories, higher body fat for BMI was associated with lower BMD, suggesting that increased fat mass without an accompanying increase in lean mass may be deleterious to bone.

Implementation of guidelines for the use of skull radiographs in patients with head injuries.

Guidelines formulated by the Royal College of Radiologists' Working Party on the Effective Use of Diagnostic Radiology were introduced into an accident-and-emergency department to determine their effect on the use of skull radiographs in patients with head injuries and on the number of admissions for observation. After approval by senior staff and substitution of the routine casualty record with a head-injury casualty card, the guidelines were distributed throughout the department, and seminars on the suggested use of skull radiographs were held for junior medical staff. The proportion of new accident-and-emergency attenders having skull radiographs fell by 51%. The average number of skull examinations carried out in the department decreased from 373 to 189 per month, but there was no increase in the number of patients with head injuries admitted for observation.