TC and LDL-C are negatively correlated with bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis

To investigate the relationships of multiple lipid metabolism indicators and bone turnover markers (BTMs) with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis, in order to identify high-risk populations.

A total of 380 patients were recruited and their general information was collected. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the correlation of these indicators with BMD and osteoporosis.

Lipid metabolism indices and BTMs exhibited varying degrees of positive or negative correlation with BMD. Elevated levels of triglycerides (r = -0.204, P = 0.004), total cholesterol (TC) (r = -0.244, P < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = -0.256, P < 0.001), apoprotein B (r = -0.292, P < 0.001) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) (r = -0.221, P = 0.002) in women were associated with a reduction in BMD. This relationship persisted even after adjusting for confounding factors and in the subgroup analysis of elderly women. In males, TC (r = 0.159, P = 0.033), LDL-C (r = 0.187, P = 0.012), apoprotein B (r = 0.157, P = 0.035), and Lp-PLA2 (r = 0.168, P = 0.024) exhibited a positive correlation with BMD, while free fatty acid (FFA) (r = -0.153, P = 0.041) was negatively correlated with BMD. However, after adjusting for confounding factors, only FFA remained negatively correlated with BMD, which was not observed in the age subgroup analysis. Furthermore, elevated levels of TC and LDL-C in elderly women were positively associated with the risk of osteoporosis or low bone mass.

Elevated levels of TC and LDL-C not only indicate a decrease in BMD in females but also positively correlate with the occurrence of osteoporosis and low bone mass in elderly females.