The effect of fat mass and lean mass on Bone Mineral Density in military premenopausal women

Aims: Fat mass and lean mass are two main components that build our body weight which have different effects on bone mineral density (BMD). To investigate the relative contribution of lean and fat mass to BMD, 42 premenopausal military officers were studied. Methods: Fat mass, lean mass and BMD were measured by whole body scanning with dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Correlation of fat mass and lean mass with BMD through different parts and also whole body of the subjects were calculated. Results: A negative correlation existed between BMD and fat mass in both whole body and the lower limbs but was not statistically significant. However, our analysis demonstrated that BMD had a significant positive correlation with the lean mass through upper and lower limbs. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the Lean mass is a strong predictor of BMD in premenopausal women in the upper and lower limbs.