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Association between cardiometabolic index and bone mineral density among adolescents in the United States

Liu H, Xiang R, Liu C, Chen Z, Shi Y, Liu Y, Liu Y

Frontiers in endocrinology, 2025

1,514 participants

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The cardiometabolic index (CMI) serves as a comprehensive metric for evaluating cardiometabolic health, and is correlated with several health outcomes. However, research examining the relationship between CMI and bone mineral density (BMD), particularly in adolescent populations, remains limited and warrants further investigation.

METHODS: The weighted multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to elucidate the association between CMI and BMD.

RESULTS: Our study ultimately included 1,514 participants. After adjusting for pertinent covariates, we observed that per-unit increases in the CMI corresponded with reductions in BMD by 0.052 g/cm2 for femoral neck (β=-0.052, 95% CI: -0.087 to -0.018) and 0.048 g/cm2 for lumbar spine (L1-L4) (β=-0.048, 95% CI: -0.085 to -0.011). In quartile analyses, individuals in the highest quartile displayed significantly reduced BMD at the femoral neck (β=-0.036, 95% CI: -0.064 to -0.007) and lumbar spine (L1-L4) (β=-0.041, 95% CI: -0.070 to -0.011) compared to those in the lowest quartile (P<0.05). No statistical significance was detected between CMI and BMD at the total femur, trochanter, and intertrochanter sites. Furthermore, stratified analyses indicated no significant interactions involving age, sex, or race in relation to CMI and BMD.

CONCLUSIONS: In the adolescent population, CMI is inversely related to BMD. These findings highlight a potential link between cardiometabolic health and bone health. Future longitudinal…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 1,514 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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