The positive association between blood urea nitrogen and bone mineral density in U.S. adults ‒ The NHANES 2011-2018

Background: a byproduct of the body's metabolism of proteins, urea nitrogen is one of the main markers of renal function. However, there is some uncertainty regarding the association between blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and bone mineral density (BMD). The purpose of this study is to determine whether blood urea nitrogen levels and bone mineral density in people aged 20 to 59 are correlated. Methods: using information from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), The multivariate logistic regression model was employed to determine the relationship between blood urea nitrogen and total bone mineral density. Additionally, we made advantage of a generalized additive model and fitted smooth curves. Results: 9807 adults in total were taken into account in the present study. Following various variable adjustments, we discovered a positive correlation between BUN and total BMD. The BUN and total BMD of diabetes patients showed a U-shaped curve in reverse, and the turning point was 5.71 mmol/L. Conclusions: among individuals in the 20-59 age range, our study found a positive correlation between BUN and total BMD. Among participants with diabetes, this association follows a U-shaped curve in reverse, and the turning point was 5.71 mmol/L.