Normal BMD values for Indian females aged 20-80 years

Area of Science:

• Osteoporosis research
• Bone mineral density assessment
• Population-specific health metrics

Background:

• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for bone mineral density (BMD) measurement.
• Current global reference BMD values (20-29 years) are based on the NHANES III database.
• Population-specific variations in BMD are not adequately addressed by current global standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish hip and lumbar spine BMD reference values for Indian women aged 20-80 years.
• To compare BMD in Indian women (20-60 years) with American/European reference populations.

Main Methods:

• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure BMD.
• Measurements were taken at the hip (neck) and lumbar spine (L1-L4 AP view).
• Data from Indian women were compared with established American/European reference data.

Main Results:

• Indian women exhibited BMD values 1.5-2 standard deviations lower than the reference Western population.
• This difference was consistent across all age groups compared.
• Significant variations in hip and spine BMD were observed between Indian and Western females.

Conclusions:

• BMD values show significant differences between Indian and Western female populations.
• Existing Western-centric reference values may not be appropriate for Indian women.
• Development and implementation of population-specific BMD reference ranges are recommended.