The relationship between breast density and bone mineral density in never users of postmenopausal hormone therapy.
BACKGROUND
Estrogen is known to affect both mammographic breast density and bone mineral density (BMD), but there are inconsistent results about the association of these density measurements in postmenopausal women. Furthermore, there are scarce data on the relationship between breast density and BMD in never users of postmenopausal hormone therapy.


OBJECTIVE
In this study, we examined the relationship between mammographic breast density and BMD in postmenopausal women who were never hormone replacement therapy users.


METHODS
A total of 293 postmenopausal women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Mammograms and BMD measurements for screening purposes were obtained. Assessment of mammographic breast density was performed by using breast imaging reporting and data system classification. The BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spine and femoral neck.


RESULTS
Grade 1 breast density was observed in 64 women (21.8 %), grade 2 in 113 women (38.6 %) and grades 3 and 4 in 116 (39.6 %) women. Breast density decreased with increasing age and body mass index (BMI). Meanwhile, no significant differences were detected in BMD measures of the hip (p = 0.14) and lumbar spine (p = 0.29) among the breast density categories. After adjusting for age and BMI, the differences in the mean BMD at the hip and lumbar spine across the breast density categories remained insignificant (p = 0.26 and 0.11, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
There is no evidence of a relationship between mammographic breast density and BMD in postmenopausal women who had never used hormone replacement therapy.
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. bernaseckin1@hotmail.com.
Berna
B
Seckin
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Meryem Kuru
MK
Pekcan
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
Hasan Ali
HA
Inal
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Cavidan
C
Gulerman
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D000071060:Breast Density / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012306:Risk
D015415:Biomarkers
Bone mineral density; Breast density; Estrogen; Hormone therapy; Postmenopause