1. Leisure time physical activity and bone mineral density preservation during the menopause transition and postmenopause: a longitudinal cohort analysis from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
- Author
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Greendale, Gail A, Jackson, Nicholas J, Shieh, Albert, Cauley, Jane A, Karvonen-Gutierrez, Carrie, Ylitalo, Kelly R, Gabriel, Kelley Pettee, Sternfeld, Barbara, and Karlamangla, Arun S
- Subjects
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Public Health ,Health Sciences ,Clinical Sciences ,Prevention ,Osteoporosis ,Menopause ,Physical activity ,Bone mineral density ,Women - Abstract
BackgroundWhether greater leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with less bone mineral density (BMD) loss during the menopause transition (MT) remains an open question. We hypothesized that: 1) larger increases in LTPA from pre-/early perimenopause (period 1) to late perimenopause/postmenopause (period 2) would be associated with a slower period 2 BMD loss rate; and 2) greater entire-study LTPA levels would be associated with better final absolute BMD (g/cm2).MethodsData were from of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (1996-2017). Exclusions were: bone beneficial medications, inability to identify start of the MT, and extreme BMD change rates. LTPA measures were a validated ordinal scale and number of metabolic equivalents per hour per week (MET hr wk-1) from sport/exercise. Multiply adjusted, linear regression models estimated: 1) BMD decline rate (annualized %) as a function of LTPA change; and 2) final BMD as a function of entire-study LTPA.FindingsMedian [p25, p75] MET hr wk-1 were 4.2 [0.9, 10.1] and 4.9 [1.4, 11.2] in periods 1 and 2, respectively; walking was the commonest activity. In adjusted models (N = 875), greater increases in LTPA ordinal score and MET hr wk-1 were statistically significantly associated with a slower decline in femoral neck (FN) BMD. Larger entire-study averages of each LTPA measure were statistically significantly related to better final FN and lumbar spine BMD levels.InterpretationFindings suggest that LTPA, at modest levels, mitigate MT-related BMD decline and even small increases in intensity, duration or frequency of common activities may lessen bone loss at the population level.FundingUS-NIH.
- Published
- 2023