ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS AND VERTEBRAL DEFORMITIES

To investigate the association between anthropometric indices and morp hometrically determined vertebral deformity, the authors carried out a cross-sectional study using data from the European Vertebral Osteopor osis Study (EVOS), a population-based study of vertebral osteoporosis in 36 European centers from 19 countries. A total of 16,047 EVOS subje cts were included in this analysis, of whom 1,973 subjects (915 males, 1,058 females) (12.3%) aged 50 years or over had one or more vertebra l deformities (''cases''). The cases were compared with the 14,074 sub jects (6,539 males, 7,535 females) with morphometrically normal spines (''controls''). Data were collected on self-reported height at age 25 years and minimum weight after age 25 years, as well as on current me asured height and weight. Body mass index (BMI) and height and weight change were calculated from these data. The relations between these va riables and vertebral deformity were examined separately by sex with l ogistic regression adjusting for age, smoking, and physical activity. In females, there was a significant trend of decreasing risk with incr easing quintile of current weight, current BMI, and weight gain since age 25 years. In males, subjects in the lightest quintile for these me asures were at increased risk but there was no evidence of a trend. An ecologic analysis by country revealed a negative correlation between mean BMI and the prevalence of deformity in females but not in males. The authors conclude that low body weight is associated with presence of vertebral deformity.