DEXA study sheds light on ‘obesity paradox’

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans have shown that even patients with normal body mass index (BMI) scores may experience significant drops in bone health, according to a study conducted by researchers in Korea.A group led by Hyunjung Yoon, MD, of Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, studied DEXA measurements of body fat composition in patients with normal BMI and found decreases in bone mineral density (BMD).“This could lead to significant implications for the development of effective preventive strategies for osteoporosis,” the researchers wrote, in a study published October 14 in Scientific Reports.The “obesity paradox” is a concept based on evidence in some patients that obesity may be a protective factor against osteoporosis, the authors explained. The concept has been a source of confusion in metabolic studies and suggests that connections between body fat and bone tissue remain unclear, the authors wrote.Moreover, BMI does not provide details on the composition of body fat. Rather, it is a measurement based on a person’s total weight and height, they noted.To shed light on these issues, the researchers collected data on 3,904 patients who underwent DEXA exams in a previous study between 2012 to 2019. They measured body fat percentages (which indicate body fat alone) in patients and compared decreases over time in BMD in those with normal BMI and normal adiposity (NBMI-NA) and normal BMI and high adiposity (NBMI-HA).Decreased BMD was defined as a DEXA Z...

Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - October 17, 2023 Category: Radiology Authors: Will Morton Tags: Clinical News Digital X-Ray Source Type: news