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The following is a summary of “High-Risk Analysis of Vertebral Compression Fractures With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Site-Specific Volumetric Bone Mineral Density,” published in the November 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Liu et al.  

Postmenopausal women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) may experience an increased risk of vertebral compression fractures, potentially due to differences in the distribution of volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD).  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring the distribution of site-specific vBMD and the relationship with vertebral compression fractures in postmenopausal women with and without T2DM.  

They used quantitative computed tomography (QCT) to measure vBMD in the L1 vertebra of 304 postmenopausal women without T2DM and 274 postmenopausal women with T2DM. Participants were categorized into 3 age groups, and the L1 vertebra was divided into 9 zones for vBMD assessment. Statistical significance was considered at P<0.05.  

The results showed that in all age groups, the posterior third zones of the L1 vertebra had the highest vBMD from the ventral to the dorsal side, while the middle third zones had the highest vBMD from head to foot (P<0.05). Among individuals with T2DM, those aged 50–59 had higher global and zonal vBMD compared to individuals without T2DM, while the vBMD of the middle posterior (vBMD-mp) zone was higher in those aged 60–69, and the middle middle (vBMD-mm) zone was higher in those aged 70–80 (P<0.05). The difference in vBMD between individuals with and without T2DM decreased with age, particularly in the upper and lower thirds of the L1 vertebra.  

They concluded that the higher risk of vertebral compression fractures in individuals with T2DM may be associated with variations in the global and site-specific vBMD loss rate, independent of overall vBMD levels.  

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/ije/7150482