Muscle mass, not fat mass, predicts vertebral fracture risk: Vietnam osteoporosis study
Authors' conclusion
In Vietnamese adults, extremes of muscle mass (low and high), rather than fat mass, are associated with higher vertebral fracture risk.
Study context
- Population
- Vietnamese adults aged ≥ 50 years from the Vietnam Osteoporosis Study
- Participants
- 1,372 adults
- Exposure
- Body composition indices vs vertebral fracture
- Outcome
- Vertebral fracture (thoracolumbar radiographs, Genant's semiquantitative method)
Methodological detailsadjusted logistic regression, restricted cubic splines
- Adjusted logistic regression
- Restricted cubic splines
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Vertebral fracture
- Vertebral fractures diagnosed
- 173 participants (12.6%)
- ASMI lowest quartile, OR for fracture
- 1.72 (95% CI 1.02-2.95)
- ASMI highest quartile, OR for fracture
- 2.59 (95% CI 1.36-5.02)
- Body fat mass index (BFMI) not significantly associated with fracture risk
- p = 0.365
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Trunk lean percentage and fracture
- Higher trunk lean percentage consistently related to fracture, ORs across non-reference quartiles
- 1.82-2.54
Total body and leg lean percentages, highest quartile, and fracture
- Total body lean percentage, highest quartile, OR
- 2.18 (95% CI 1.07-4.45)
- Leg lean percentage, highest quartile, OR
- 2.06 (95% CI 1.03-4.12)
- Associated with increased risk only in the highest quartile
Characteristics, fracture vs no fracture
- Age, years (mean ± SD), fracture vs no fracture; p < 0.001
- 63.4 ± 9.6 vs 58.8 ± 7.3
- Male, fracture vs no fracture; p = 0.017
- 38.7% vs 29.4%
Original publication
Muscle mass, not fat mass, predicts vertebral fracture risk: Vietnam osteoporosis study. Osteoporos Int. Published 8 January 2026. doi:10.
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