There are racial differences in lumbar volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in adolescents and young adults with moderate to severe obesity, with blacks having higher vBMD than whites, according to a study published in Bone Reports. Previous research has shown that areal BMD of the lumbar spine is greater in black adolescents when compared with white adolescents. Other studies indicate that marrow adipose tissues (MAT) is an important determinant of skeletal integrity, independent of BMD. With data lacking on racial differences in vBMD and MAT in adolescents and young adults with obesity, researchers conducted a study to assess these differences, as well as body composition determinants of bone parameters, with the hypothesis that black participants would have higher vBMD and lower MAT of the lumbar spine than white participants. Black and white patients aged 13-24 with moderate to severe obesity underwent vBMD assessment and lumbar MAT content, abdominal fat, and thigh muscle mass quantification. Black adolescents/young adults with obesity had higher vBMD compared with white counterparts (p < 0.0001), while no significant differences were observed in lumbar MAT (p = 0.64). There were also no significant differences in body composition measures between groups (p ≥ 0.28). An inverse association between MAT and vBMD was observed in white participantss (r = -0.47, P = 0.001) but not in black participants (p = 0.6). No significant associations were seen between body composition measures and bone parameters (p > 0.1).
