Osteoporosis and Osteopenia Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Aged ≥50: Role of Sex and Clinical Characteristics

Introduction/Background: Although some studies have explored the association of adiposity and life habits (such as smoking) with osteoporosis and osteopenia among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, the association between diabetic clinical characteristics (especially hypoglycemic drug use) and osteoporosis/osteopenia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of clinical characteristics with osteoporosis and osteopenia among T2DM patients by sex. Methods: A total of 1222 T2DM patients aged ≥50 were included in the present study. Information on demographic, anthropometric and clinical characteristics was collected from medical records. Bone mineral density was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry densitometer. Multiple adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of osteoporosis and osteopenia related to clinical characteristics. Results: Of all participants, the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was 9.2% and 41.3%, respectively, and they were higher in females (14.7% and 48.5%) than in males (2.8% and 33%). After adjustment for potential confounders, the results showed that overweight (OR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.42–0.81) and obesity (OR = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.24–0.50) were related to decreased odds of osteoporosis and osteopenia in both male and female T2DM patients, poor glycemic control (OR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.08–2.47) was associated with increased odds of osteoporosis and osteopenia in males, and metformin treatment (OR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43–0.99) was associated with decreased odds of osteoporosis and osteopenia in females. Conclusions: Better glycemic management and rational choice of antidiabetic medication might be promising to prevent osteoporosis in T2DM patients. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to explore the association between antidiabetic treatment and osteoporosis.