A new study has found that women with obesity and overweight, particularly women with high waist circumference (WC), are more susceptible to fractures than those with normal weight.
However, in men, underweight, not overweight, is associated with a greater risk of broken bones. The results of the study have been presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO), which was held in Maastricht, the Netherlands from May 4 to 7. Obesity has long been thought to help protect against fractures.
This is because mechanical loading on bones, which increases with body weight, helps increase bone mineral density, an important determinant of bone strength. However, recent studies have suggested that the re lationship between obesity and fracture risk varies depending on sex, the skeletal site studied and definition of obesity used (body mass index (BMI) vs. waist circumference).
To find out more, Dr. Anne-Frederique Turcotte, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Quebec Research Centre, Quebec City, Canada, and colleagues, analysed data from CARTa- GENE, a prospective population- based cohort of almost 20,000 individuals aged 40-70 years from Quebec, Canada