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Inhalant allergy is associated with bone parameters in young adults: a sex-specific analysis using ultrasound
Alexandra Hozáková1, Darina Falbová1, Simona Sulis1
1Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská Dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Introduction:
To examine, separately by sex, whether inhalant allergy is associated with peripheral bone status assessed by quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) in Slovak young adults.
Materials And Methods:
We analysed 649 adults aged 18-30 years (393 women, 256 men), classified as inhalant allergy (IA; 200 women, 114 men), other non-inhalant allergy (OA; 12 women, 9 men), or no allergy (NA; 181 women, 133 men). Speed of sound (SOS) and Z-scores were measured at the radius using the Sunlight MiniOmni (BeamMed, Israel). Group differences were analysed using Welch's ANOVA with Games-Howell tests. Multiple linear regression assessed associations across four models (base, lifestyle-adjusted, current-treatment-adjusted, and past-treatment-adjusted), and combined models tested interactions between inhalant allergy group and sex.
Results:
In men, Z-score differed across groups (p = 0.042), with lower values in IA than NA (- 0.502 ± 0.943 vs. - 0.187 ± 0.854; p = 0.019). IA was associated with lower Z-scores across all models (β = - 0.325 to - 0.365; p ≤ 0.021) and lower SOS in three models (β = - 0.260 to - 0.308; p ≤ 0.036). Reduced Z-score was more frequent in IA than NA men (6.1% vs. 0.8%; p = 0.026). In women, IA was associated with higher Z-scores across all models (p = 0.037-0.048), but not with SOS or reduced Z-score. IA-by-sex interactions were significant for both outcomes across all models.
Conclusion:
Findings suggest a sex-specific association between inhalant allergy and QUS-derived bone parameters, with less favourable peripheral bone status in men and no adverse pattern in women. Further research is warranted.
