Bone mineral density reference ranges for Australian men: Geelong Osteoporosis Study

Area of Science:

• Osteoporosis research
• Gerontology
• Public health

Background:

• Establishing normative bone mineral density (BMD) data is essential for accurate diagnosis and management of osteoporosis.
• Previous data may not adequately represent diverse populations, necessitating region-specific reference ranges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate normative bone mineral density (BMD) data for Australian men using a large, population-based random sample.
• To provide reliable reference ranges for multiple anatomical sites.

Main Methods:

• An age-stratified random sample of 1,467 Australian men (aged 20-97 years) was recruited from electoral rolls.
• Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at various anatomical sites using Lunar densitometers.

Main Results:

• Age-related BMD changes varied by site, with linear trends at the spine and hip, and quadratic trends at the whole body and forearm.
• Femoral neck BMD in Australian men closely matched data from US non-Hispanic white males (NHANES III).
• BMD generally decreased with age at hip sites, while spinal BMD showed a slight increase, with a decrease in a subset without abnormalities.

Conclusions:

• The study provides comprehensive BMD reference ranges for white Australian men.
• These reference ranges are applicable to similar populations, including US non-Hispanic white men.
• The data contribute to a better understanding of bone density variations across different populations and age groups.