Dietary sugar intake does not pose any risk of bone loss and non-traumatic fracture and is associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality among Chinese elderly: Finding from an 11-year longitudinal study of Mr. and Ms. OS Hong Kong

Background The association of dietary sugar intake and skeletal health remains uncertain in the elderly. We aimed to investigate the association of sugar intake with the bone health and mortality of Chinese elderly. Methods An analysis was conducted through an 11-year longitudinal study (Mr. and Ms. OS Hong Kong). Four thousand Chinese elderly aged 65 and older were recruited from the local community between 2001 and 2003. Sugar intake was assessed at baseline by a validated 329-item Food Frequency Questionnaire and a local sugar database. The bone mineral density (BMD) was examined at baseline and the fourth year follow-up by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data on the incidence of non-traumatic fractures (total, hip and osteoporotic sites) and all-cause mortality were collected. The multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were used to test the associations of sugar intake with bone health and all-cause mortality. Results No significant association was observed between sugar intakes and BMD changes in the fourth year's follow-up. During a total 34,483 person years' follow-up, we documented 433 non-traumatic fractures and 769 deaths. Although lack of significant association with the incidence of non-traumatic fractures, high added sugar intakes were significantly associated with a low risk of all-cause mortality among the elderly with a hazard ratio of 0.750 (95% CI: 0.590–0.954, P for trend = 0.007) in the highest quintile compared with that in the lowest quintile. Conclusion The amount of sugar consumed by the Chinese elderly did not pose any risk of bone loss and fracture. Moreover, high sugar intake of the elderly was associated with a low rate of all-cause mortality.