Background: In view of the current high prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and osteoporosis, today there is great interest in studying the possible association between these two disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the association between type-2 DM, and Bone mineral density (BMD) in Iranian women.
Methods: BMD was determined in the femoral neck and at the L2-L4 level (DEXA) 0f 518 women aged 40-80 years old, referred to bone densitometry unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (146 patients with type 2 diabetes and 372 normal controls).
Results: In diabetics patients, BMD values at the vertebral site were higher than non-diabetic patients but the difference was only significant in postmenopausal subgroup (P= 0.045). Besides, BMD values at the hip site were higher when compared with non-diabetes group, but the difference was not significant. Frequency of osteoporosis risk factors (tea consumption, sunlight exposure, late menarche, low physical activity, smoking habits, family history of osteoporosis and inadequate calcium intake) were not significantly different between diabetic and non-diabetic women , but prevalence of early menopause was higher in diabetic women (P= 0.046). Prevalence of osteoporosis in premenopausal and postmenopausal was 7% and 41.6% in diabetic and 15% and 36.8% in non-diabetic women, respectively. Prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was not significantly different in diabetic and non-diabetic groups.
Conclusion: The present results demonstrate that there is not clear association between BMD and type 2 diabetes mellitus.