Arm Fat May Predict Spinal Fracture Risk

MONDAY, May 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Arm fat may predict risk for spinal fracture, according to a study presented at the annual European Congress of Endocrinology, hosted by the European Society of Endocrinology from May 11 to 14 in Stockholm.

Maria Eleni Chondrogianni, from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece, and colleagues investigated the association between body composition and bone quality as measured by lumbar spine trabecular bone score (TBS). The analysis included 83 participants (mean age of 62.4 years).

The researchers found that total fat mass was negatively associated with TBS, while total lean mass was positively correlated with TBS. Visceral adipose tissue mass was negatively associated with TBS, while right and left arm fat mass, each one or combined, was negatively associated with TBS even when adjusting for age and weight. Individually or combined, right and left arm lean mass was positively associated with TBS.

"Although our results remain robust after controlling for age and weight, we will now increase the number of participants and expand the age range by including younger adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years old, as well as more men," senior author Eva Kassi, M.D., Ph.D., also of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said in a statement. "Moreover, using the loss of arm fat mass as a marker, we will try to determine the most effective physical exercise routine that not only targets the visceral fat but also focuses on the upper part of the body so that these higher-risk adults lose arm fat and achieve a favorable effect on vertebrae bone quality."

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