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Familial Resemblance of Bone Mineral Density Between Females 18 Years and Older and Their Mothers

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Abstract

Potential determinants of bone mass were investigated in a group of 70 young females (mean age 26.6 years), daughters of women studied in premenopause. Nutritional data, leisure physical activity level, lifestyle habits as well as familial similarities were assessed. The daughters’ bone mineral density (BMD), measured by dual-energy absorp-tiometry, was significantly correlated with their body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.22), dietary vitamin D intake (r = 0.19) and their mothers’ BMD (r = 0.44). Multiple regression analysis indicated that only the mothers’ BMD remained an independent predictor of bone mass. Mother-daughter correlations were also observed for body weight (r = 0.24), height (r = 0.39), BMI (r = 0.29), dietary calcium intake (r = 0.20), and calcium (r = 0.20) or vitamin D (r = 0.25) intakes from dairy products. Hence, these observations support the evidence that mothers’ BMD is the strongest predictor of bone mass of young women in their third decade.

Résumé

Nous avons évalué les principaux déterminants de la masse osseuse chez 70 jeunes femmes (âge moyen: 26,6 ans) dont les mères avaient été étudiées avant la ménopause. Notre évaluation a porté sur les apports nutritionnels, le niveau d’activité physique durant les loisirs, le mode de vie et les antécédents familiaux. Nous avons mesuré la densité osseuse de la colonne lombaire (DO) par densitométrie biphotonique. Afin de déterminer l’influence de l’hérédité et de l’environnement, ces paramètres ont été comparés à ceux des mères. La DO des filles était en relation significative avec celle de leur mère (r = 0,44), l’indice de masse corporelle (IMC) (r = 0,22) et l’apport alimentaire en vitamine D (r = 0,19). Par régression multiple, seule la DO des mères a été associée à la DO des filles. Des corrélations mère-fille ont été observées pour le poids (r = 0,24), la taille (r = 0,39), l’IMC (r = 0,29), l’apport en calcium (r = 0,20) et les apports en calcium (r = 0,20) ou en vitamine D (r = 0,25) provenant des produits laitiers. Ces observations suggèrent que la DO de la mère est le principal déterminant de la masse osseuse chez les jeunes femmes dans la trentaine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHUM - Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-Luc and Université de Montréal, 1058 St-Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 3J7, Canada

    Daniel Picard MD, MSc & Michel Picard MD

  2. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Canada

    Andrée Imbach PhD & Marielle Couturier MSc

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Hôpital Saint-Luc, Canada

    Raymond Lepage PhD

Authors
  1. Daniel Picard MD, MSc
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  2. Andrée Imbach PhD
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  3. Marielle Couturier MSc
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  4. Raymond Lepage PhD
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  5. Michel Picard MD
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This project was supported by the Dairy Bureau of Canada.

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Picard, D., Imbach, A., Couturier, M. et al. Familial Resemblance of Bone Mineral Density Between Females 18 Years and Older and Their Mothers. Can J Public Health 92, 353–358 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404978

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