Factors associated with bone mineral density in Korean middle-aged men

Background : Osteoporosis is a growing health problem not only in women but also in men. This cross-sectional study examined the association of anthropometric, lifestyle and hormonal factors with bone mineral density (BMD) in 152 healthy Korean middle-aged men. Methods : Smoking habits and alcohol consumption were assessed from an interview. Serum testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. GH stimulating tests were performed with ingestion of 500 mg of L-dopa. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and femur neck using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results : 3.9% of middle-aged men were osteoporotic and 28.3% were osteopenic at lumbar spine site, and 5.9% were osteoporotic and 45.4% were osteopenic at femur neck site. Lumbar spine BMD correlated significantly with body mass index (BMI, r=0.301, p