The association between lipid profile and bone density in postmenopausal women.

AIM The aim of this research was to examine the correlation between lipid profile and bone density in postmenopausal and premenopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS This research covered 53 subjects who were in postmenopause and 30 subjects who had regular menstruation, older than 45. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The postmenopausal subjects have lower bone density of the lumbar spine, if triglyceride levels were higher (p = 0.030) and VLDL is higher (p = 0.032). In subjects with regular menstruation, the density of the neck of the femur was greater if the cholesterol values were higher (p = 0.002) and the density of the lumbar spine was greater where the levels of triglycerides (p = 0.002) and of ApoB (p = 0.026) were higher. In subjects in postmenopause there was a correlation between the density of the lumbar spine (p = 0.04) and the density of the neck of the femur (p = 0.008) with the length of menopause. The effect of lipid profile on bone density differs in women with regular menstruation and in postmenopausal women. The triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women contribute to a reduction in bone density, whilst the effect on bone density in women with regular menstruation is reversed, which indicates that the lipid profile is not an isolated factor affecting bone density, but that other factors, such as oestrogen levels and the length of post-menopause, have a significant effect on bone density.