Memory difficulty and bone mineral density: The NHANES, 2013-2018.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Orthopedics
• Public Health

Background:

• Bone mineral density (BMD) is a key indicator of bone health.
• The relationship between cognitive function, specifically memory difficulty, and BMD remains under-explored.
• Understanding this association is crucial for identifying at-risk populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between self-reported memory difficulty and BMD in a diverse sample of US adults.
• To determine if this association differs based on skeletal site (femoral neck, total hip, lumbar spine) or demographic factors like sex and age.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 4383 US adults.
• Memory difficulty assessed via face-to-face interviews.
• BMD measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine.

Main Results:

• Memory difficulty was significantly associated with lower BMD T-scores at the femoral neck and total hip, but not the lumbar spine.
• These associations were consistent across sexes.
• The negative association between memory difficulty and hip BMD was notably stronger in adults younger than 50 years old.

Conclusions:

• Memory difficulty is negatively associated with hip BMD in US adults.
• This association is more pronounced in younger adults (<50 years old).
• Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.