INFLUENCE OF WEIGHT AND GONADAL STATUS ON TOTAL AND REGIONAL BONE-MINERAL CONTENT AND ON WEIGHT-BEARING AND NON-WEIGHT-BEARING BONES, MEASURED BY DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY

Objective: To evaluate the influence of weight on total body bone mine ral content (BMCTB) and regional body bone mineral content (head, arms , trunk and legs). This was studied in accordance with gonadal status and the weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing status of each region. Me thods: The study included 94 postmenopausal women (mean age 60.6 +/- 1 0.5 years), 36 perimenopausal women (mean age 49.0 +/- 2.3 years) and 60 premenopausal women (mean age 36.1 +/- 6.9 years). Full-body bone d ensitometry (DXA), for measuring total body bone and regional bone min eral content, was carried out in all the women. Results: Among these g roups, the influence of 1 kg of body weight on total and regional bone mineral content (percent) did not differ (paired test P ns). In the o verall group of women, paired comparison showed differences between th e head and other zones measured (P = 0.036-0.004). In the overall grou p of women, no differences were found in the percent influence of 1 kg body weight on bone mineral content in any study zone (by ANOVA, Fish er's PLSD post hoc test and the Kruskal-Wallis test). In the overall g roup of women, Fisher's r to z test revealed a non-significant relatio nship between weight and the bone mineral content of the head (r = 0.4 9, P ns) but in every other region the relationship between weight and bone mineral content was significant (r = 0.36-0.54, P < 0.0001 in al l). Conclusions: The effect of body weight on BMCTB and regional did n ot differ significantly with either gonadal status or weight-bearing ( legs) and non-weight-bearing bones (arms). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science I reland Ltd.