Premium
Fetuin‐A and BMD in Older Persons: The Health Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study
Author(s) -
Ix Joachim H,
Wassel Christina L,
Bauer Douglas C,
Toroian Damon,
Tylavsky Frances A,
Cauley Jane A,
Harris Tamara B,
Price Paul A,
Cummings Steven R,
Shlipak Michael G
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of bone and mineral research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.882
H-Index - 241
eISSN - 1523-4681
pISSN - 0884-0431
DOI - 10.1359/jbmr.081017
Subject(s) - medicine , femoral neck , bone mineral , body mass index , fetuin , osteoporosis , endocrinology , bone density , obesity , physiology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , glycoprotein
Abstract Fetuin‐A is a hepatic secretory protein that promotes bone mineralization in vitro. Whether fetuin‐A levels are associated with BMD in humans is unknown. The Health Aging and Body Composition study enrolled 3075 well‐functioning black and white persons 70–79 yr of age and measured BMD. This cross‐sectional study measured serum fetuin‐A using ELISA among a random sample of 508 participants within sex and race strata. Multivariate linear regression analysis evaluated the associations of fetuin‐A with BMD. Among women ( n = 257), higher fetuin‐A levels were significantly associated with higher total hip ( p = 0.02), lumbar spine ( p = 0.03), and whole body BMD ( p = 0.01) in models adjusted for age, race, diabetes, alcohol and tobacco use, physical activity, body mass index, C‐reactive protein levels, calcium supplement, and estrogen use. For example, each SD (0.38 g/liter) higher level of fetuin‐A was associated with 0.016 g/cm 2 higher total hip areal BMD. The association was of similar magnitude and direction for femoral neck BMD but did not reach statistical significance ( p = 0.11). In contrast, among men ( n = 251), fetuin‐A had no significant associations with total hip ( p = 0.79), lumbar spine ( p = 0.35), whole body ( p = 0.46), or femoral neck BMD ( p = 0.54) in multivariable models. We conclude that higher fetuin‐A levels are independently associated with higher BMD among well‐functioning community‐dwelling older women but not older men. Future studies should evaluate whether fetuin‐A may refine fracture risk assessment in older women.