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Racial differences in bone mineral density in older men.
Asha George1, J Kathleen Tracy, Walter A Meyer
1Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Summary
Older Black men have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than older White men. This finding may help explain why Black men experience fewer fractures.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Orthopedics
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous studies on bone mineral density (BMD) in older men lacked sufficient numbers of Black men for racial comparisons.
- Factors influencing BMD in older White men are well-documented, but less so in older Black men.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare bone mineral density (BMD) between older Black and White men.
- To identify factors contributing to racial differences in BMD among older men.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 503 White and 191 Black men aged 65+ from the Baltimore metropolitan area.
- Collected data through questionnaires, standardized examinations, and BMD measurements (femoral neck, lumbar spine, total body).
- Utilized multiple variable linear regression models, adjusted for confounding variables, to analyze BMD differences.
Main Results:
- Black men exhibited significantly higher adjusted BMD across all measured sites compared to White men.
- Specifically, Black men showed higher BMD at the femoral neck (0.09 mg/cm²), lumbar spine (0.07 mg/cm²), and total body (0.06 mg/cm²).
- These differences persisted even after adjusting for potential confounding factors.
Conclusions:
- Older Black men possess significantly higher BMD than their White counterparts, independent of other BMD-associated factors.
- The elevated BMD in Black men, particularly at the femoral neck, may contribute to the observed lower incidence of hip fractures in this demographic.
- These findings highlight important racial variations in bone health among aging populations.