The associations of statin intake and the trabecular bone score and bone mineral density status in elderly Iranian individuals: a cross-sectional analysis of the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program.

In recent years, a growing interest on the impact of statin intake on bone health has emerged, although the reported results are controversial. The results of this study revealed that BMD at lumbar spine has a significant association with statin intake. However, such association appears to be weaker regarding TBS values compared to BMD. This study was performed with the aim of evaluating associations of statin intake with BMD and TBS using data from 2426 individuals aged ≥ 60 years from the second phase of the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program. We found a positive association between statin and BMD at lumbar spine, whereas association between statin and TBS was detected only in the men in the final model. INTRODUCTION In recent years, a growing interest has been established to evaluate the impact of statin intake on bone health, although the reported results are controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association of statin intake with bone health status according to BMD and TBS. METHODS This cross-sectional analysis used data from the elderly Iranian individuals who participated in the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program. Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) device was used to evaluate the BMD at lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, and total hip, as well as TBS at lumbar spine. RESULTS Among 2426 (1260 women and 1166 men) study participants, 778 were statin users. A positive significant association, irrespective of sex, was observed between statin intake and BMD at L1-L4, even after controlling for potential variables in total population (β = 0.016, p = 0.013). The mean TBS values at L1-L4 were negatively associated with statin intake in total population (β =  - 0.009, p = 0.001), while in the full adjusted model, significant positive association between TBS and statin intake was detected only in men (β = 0.013, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION The results of this study revealed that BMD at lumbar spine has a significant association with statin intake. However, such an association appears to be weaker regarding TBS values compared to BMD.