Canadian Adult Reference Data for Body Composition, Trabecular Bone Score and Advanced Hip Analysis Using DXA

Area of Science:

• Osteoporosis and Body Composition Research
• Gerontology and Adult Health Studies

Background:

• Limited reference data exists for visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and advanced hip analysis (AHA) parameters derived from dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) across the adult lifespan.
• Accurate assessment of body composition and bone health requires comprehensive, age- and sex-specific normative data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop age-, site-, and sex-specific reference data for DXA-derived body composition, trabecular bone score (TBS), and AHA parameters.
• To establish Canadian reference data for clinicians and researchers assessing adult body composition and bone quality.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 908 adults (561 female, 347 male) aged 20 years and older underwent DXA scans of the hip, lumbar spine, forearm, and total body.
• Areal bone mineral density (aBMD), body composition (lean mass, fat mass, percent fat), VAT mass, AHA parameters, and TBS were analyzed.
• Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) were used to generate site- and sex-specific centile curves and tables.

Main Results:

• Comprehensive reference data for DXA-derived VAT and AHA parameters across the adult lifespan were successfully generated.
• Site- and sex-specific centile curves and tables provide normative values for body composition, TBS, and AHA.
• The developed reference data are applicable to a Canadian population.

Conclusions:

• This study successfully developed and presented age-, site-, and sex-specific reference data for DXA-derived body composition, VAT, TBS, and AHA parameters.
• These Canadian reference data serve as a valuable clinical and research tool for assessing adult health.
• The findings contribute to a better understanding of body composition and bone health variations throughout adulthood.