Establishment of BMD reference databases for the diagnosis and evaluation of osteoporosis in central southern Chinese men

Osteoporosis in men is an increasingly important public health problem. This study was designed to establish bone mineral density (BMD) reference databases for central southern Chinese men at multiple skeletal sites. We recruited 2433 native Chinese males for BMD assessment. Of these, 1537 were healthy volunteers (age range, 15-85 years), and 896 were suspected to have osteoporosis. BMD values were measured at the posteroanterior (PA) and lateral spine, hip, and distal forearm using a Delphi A absorptiometer. The quadratic regression model provided the best fit for age-related changes in BMD in the spine and hip. The cubic regression model was the best for describing age-related BMD changes in the distal forearm. Peak BMD in the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip occurred at 15-19 years. Peak BMD at the distal forearm occurred at 40-44 years. The prevalence of primary osteoporosis in subjects ranging from 50-85 years was 4.3%-27.7% at various skeletal sites. Compared to the databases established here, the Hologic databases led to significantly higher osteoporosis detection rates. The BMD reference databases established for central southern Chinese men provide the most reliable diagnostic standards for osteoporosis detection in men of central south China.