Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bone metabolism can be influenced by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the relationship between T2DM and bone mineral density (BMD) remains inconsistent. This study explored the differences in BMD in middle-aged adults with and without T2DM. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 4986 participants aged 40-59 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate the associations between T2DM status, serum glucose, glycohemoglobin (HbA1c), disease duration and lumbar BMD. RESULTS: There was a positive association between T2DM status and lumbar BMD in all three models (model 1: β=0.039, 95% CI: 0.025-0.052; model 2: β=0.045, 95% CI: 0.031-0.059; model 3: β=0.035, 95% CI: 0.014-0.055). In the subgroup analysis stratified by gender, this positive association existed in both gender after adjusting for confounders (males: β=0.033, 95% CI: 0.003-0.062; females: β=0.035, 95% CI: 0.008-0.062). Besides, there were no significant associations of serum glucose, HbA1c, disease duration with lumbar BMD in both genders with T2DM. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that middle-aged adults with T2DM had significantly higher lumbar BMD compared with those without DM.