Betel Nut Chewing Decreased Calcaneus Ultrasound T-Score in a Large Taiwanese Population Follow-Up Study

Menopause modified the association of blood pressure with osteoporosis among gender: a large-scale cross-sectional study

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the potential association between blood pressure and osteoporosis in a rural population with limited resources. Existing evidence on this association is limited, particularly in such settings.

Methods

Data from 7,689 participants in the Henan Rural Cohort study were analyzed. Four blood pressure indicators [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP)] were measured. The logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline plots were used to assess the relationship between blood pressure indicators and osteoporosis prevalence.

Results

Positive trends were noted between blood pressure indicators and osteoporosis prevalence in the entire group and women (P trend < 0.05 for SBP, MAP, and PP). Women with higher SBP and PP exhibited elevated odds of osteoporosis compared with those with the lowest SBP and PP (ORs ranging from 1.15 to 1.5 for SBP and 1.06 to 1.83 for PP). No such associations were found in men. These relationships were only evident in postmenopausal women. Dose-response analysis confirmed these findings. Excluding participants taking hypertension medication did not alter the results.

Conclusion

In resource-limited settings, higher SBP and PP are associated with the increased prevalence of osteoporosis in women, potentially influenced by menopause-related factors. This indicates that potential gender-based differences and social inequalities may affect bone health.

Clinical trial registration

The Henan Rural Cohort Study has been registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Register (Registration number: ChiCTR-OOC-15006699) http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=11375.

The association between body mass index and osteoporosis in a Taiwanese population: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

This study investigates the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and osteoporosis utilizing data from the Taiwan Biobank. Initially, a comprehensive analysis of 119,009 participants enrolled from 2008 to 2019 was conducted to assess the association between BMI and osteoporosis prevalence. Subsequently, a longitudinal cohort of 24,507 participants, initially free from osteoporosis, underwent regular follow-ups every 2-4 years to analyze the risk of osteoporosis development, which was a subset of the main cohort. Participants were categorized into four BMI groups: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m2), overweight (24 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 27 kg/m2), and obese groups (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2). A T-score ≤ - 2.5 standard deviations below that of a young adult was defined as osteoporosis. Overall, 556 (14.1%), 5332 (9.1%), 2600 (8.1%) and 1620 (6.7%) of the participants in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively, had osteoporosis. A higher prevalence of osteoporosis was noted in the underweight group compared with the normal weight group (odds ratio [OR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.99 to 2.43; p value < 0.001) in multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, in the longitudinal cohort during a mean follow-up of 47 months, incident osteoporosis was found in 61 (9%), 881 (7.2%), 401 (5.8%) and 213 (4.6%) participants in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the risk of incident osteoporosis was higher in the underweight group than in the normal weight group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.63; 95% CI 1.26 to 2.12; p value < 0.001). Our results suggest that BMI is associated with both the prevalence and the incidence of osteoporosis. In addition, underweight is an independent risk factor for developing osteoporosis. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining normal weight for optimal bone health.

Bioactive Components of Areca Nut: An Overview of Their Positive Impacts Targeting Different Organs

Areca catechu L. is a widely cultivated tropical crop in Southeast Asia, and its fruit, areca nut, has been consumed as a traditional Chinese medicinal material for more than 10,000 years, although it has recently attracted widespread attention due to potential hazards. Areca nut holds a significant position in traditional medicine in many areas and ranks first among the four southern medicines in China. Numerous bioactive compounds have been identified in areca nuts, including alkaloids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and fatty acids, which exhibit diverse bioactive functions, such as anti-bacterial, deworming, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Furthermore, they also display beneficial impacts targeting the nervous, digestive, and endocrine systems. This review summarizes the pharmacological functions and underlying mechanisms of the bioactive ingredients in areca nut. This helps to ascertain the beneficial components of areca nut, discover its medicinal potential, and guide the utilization of the areca nut.

Association between walking speed and calcaneus stiffness index in older adults

INTRODUCTION

The aim here is to examine the association between objectively measured usual walking speed (UWS) and bone status in community-dwelling older Chinese.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of a population of 1528 adults (817 females, mean age 68.5 ± 5.3; 711 males, mean age 69.1 ± 5.2) aged 60-79, living in communities in Shanghai. Walking speed was assessed using a 4-m walk test at a usual-pace walking speed a walking speed at which the subject felt relaxed-and bone status measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS). The health-related characteristics of participants include family background, physical activity level, chronic disease, smoking and alcohol consumption, frequency of falls, vitamin intake, and hormone therapy.

RESULTS

Multiple linear regression is used to analyses any association between UWS and bone status, adjusting for confounding factors showing a significant association between faster UWS and a higher calcaneal stiffness index (SI) (p < 0.01). Comparing the lowest quartile of the data set with the highest at UWS, a high SI is achieved with 5.34 (95% CI = 3.22, 7.46) (p < 0.01), after adjusting for confounders. An increase of 1 dm/s was associated with a 0.91 (95% CI = 0.53, 1.29) increase in SI. This relationship for most subgroups is consistent.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that UWS can be a sensitive indicator of calcaneal bone loss among an older population.

Hyperuricemia and Its Association with Osteoporosis in a Large Asian Cohort

In this paper, we aimed to examine the protective role of hyperuricemia in the prevalence of osteoporosis in a large Asian cohort. A total of 119,037 participants from 29 recruitment centers in Taiwan were enrolled onto our study. Participants with serum uric acid greater than 7.0 mg/dL in men and 6.0 mg/dL in women were classified as the hyperuricemia group whereas the others were the control group. The mean age of all participants was 50; there were 23,114 subjects (19%) with hyperuricemia. Osteoporosis was observed in 8243 (9%) and 1871 (8%) participants in the control and hyperuricemia groups, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, a lower risk of osteoporosis was found in the hyperuricemia group compared with the control group (odds ratio, 0.916; 95% confidence interval, 0.864 to 0.970). A subgroup analysis showed that hyperuricemia was associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis in females, but not in males. Women with serum uric acid greater than 8.0 mg/dL were not associated with a greater risk of osteoporosis. Our study suggests that hyperuricemia decreases the risk of osteoporosis in females, but not in males. The protective role was no longer apparent when the serum uric acid level was greater than 8 mg/dL.