Study design: Japanese resident cohort study based on a municipal registry.
Objective: This study of a community-dwelling elderly Japanese population employed random sampling from the basic resident registry of a rural town for subject selection to investigate the differences in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers between subjects with and without diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).
Summary of background data: DISH is a condition characterized by the calcification and ossification of soft tissues. Although some reports have addressed BMD in DISH, the precise status of BMD and bone metabolism in individuals with DISH remains unclear.
Methods: Eight groups based on age (50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s) and sex after random sampling from the resident registry of Obuse town were established. A total of 411 participants (202 males and 209 females) were enrolled for the evaluation of BMD and bone turnover markers. All subjects underwent a single whole-spine lateral radiographic examination for the existence of DISH. The BMD and bone turnover markers of subjects with and without DISH were analyzed for associations with the disorder using multivariate analysis.
Results: DISH was detected in 66 (16.1%) participants in our population cohort. According to multivariate analysis, increased lumbar and hip BMD were significantly related to DISH (odds ratio: 7.47 and 22.8, respectively).
Conclusion: This study clarified the differences in BMD and bone turnover markers between subjects with and without DISH on a general population basis. Multivariate analysis revealed increased lumbar and hip BMD to be significantly associated with DISH, with no remarkable findings for bone turnover markers.
Level of evidence: 4.