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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #136382
Title: LEPTIN, BODY COMPOSTION, AND BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Author
item BLUM, MIRIAM - HNRCA
item HARRIS, SUSAN - HNRCA
item MUST, AVIVA - TUFTS U
item NAUMOVA, E - TUFTS U
item PHILLIPS, S - TUFTS U
item RAND, W - TUFTS U
item DAWSON-HUGHES, BESS - HNRCA

Submitted to: Calcified Tissue International
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/3/2002
Publication Date: 7/1/2003
Citation: BLUM, M., HARRIS, S.S., MUST, A., NAUMOVA, E.N., PHILLIPS, S.M., RAND, W.M., DAWSON-HUGHES, B. LEPTIN, BODY COMPOSTION, AND BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. CALCIFIED TISSUE INTERNATIONAL. 2003;73:27-32.

Interpretive Summary: Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive association between body weight and bone mass in subjects of all age groups. It is unclear, however, whether body composition, that is the percent of total weight that is fat tissue (%fat), is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) independently of weight. Leptin, a hormone produced in fat tissue, has recently been shown to be inversely related to bone mass in mice, but its role in predicting human bone mass is uncertain. We investigated associations of %fat and leptin with BMD in a 153 healthy premenopausal women with an average age of 41 years, average weight of 66 kg, and average %fat of 33. BMD of the total hip, lumbar spine and total body and body composition were measured and serum leptin assays were performed. As expected, weight was positively associated with BMD. However, it was found that %fat was negatively associated with BMD. Leptin was also negatively associated with BMD. The results of this study suggest that for a given body weight, a higher proportion of fat and a higher serum leptin concentration have negative associations with bone mass in premenopausal women. Further studies of leptin and its relationship to BMD need to be done.

Technical Abstract: Body weight is known to be associated with bone mass, however it is unclear whether body composition, that is the percent of total weight that is fat tissue (%fat) is associated with bone mass independently of weight. Fat tissue is metabolically active, and hormonal factors may mediate an association of %fat with bone mass. Leptin is produced in fat tissue, and has recently been shown to be inversely related to bone mass in mice, but its role in predicting human bone mass is uncertain. We sought to investigate the associations of %fat and of serum leptin concentration with bone mineral density (BMD) in a cohort of 153 premenopausal women. BMD measurements of the total hip, lumbar spine and total body as well as body composition were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Leptin assays were performed on serum using a commercial competitive binding assay. Individually, body weight, %fat and leptin were each positively associated with BMD at all three sites. However, when we examined BMD either as a function of both body weight and %fat together, or as a function of both body weight and leptin together, we found that for a given body weight, BMD appeared to be inversely associated with %fat and similarly appeared to be inversely associated with leptin. When BMD was examined as a function of %fat and leptin together, we found that for a given %fat, leptin appeared to be inversely associated with BMD. In summary, the results of this study suggest that for a given body weight, a higher proportion of fat and a higher serum leptin concentration have negative associations with bone mass in premenopausal women.