The Relationship Between Breast Density, Bone Mineral Density, and Metabolic Syndrome Among Postmenopausal Turkish Women.

The relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and menopause remains unclear. The effects of MetS on breast and bone density in this group of women are also not fully elucidated. Herein, we aimed to investigate the relationship between components of the MetS, mammographic breast density (MBD), and vertebral/femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Turkish women. The study group consisted of postmenopausal women with MetS whereas controls postmenopausal women without MetS. All consecutive women who applied to our center for routine postmenopausal follow up and met the inclusion criteria, between July 2013 and October 2015 were included in the study. Menopause was defined as the cessation of menstruation for at least 1 year, and we used the definition of the MetS suggested by a joint interim statement. BMD of the spine and femur was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The medical records of 390 postmenopausal were retrospectively reviewed. No significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of age, menopause type, and menopause duration (p > 0.05). Decreased MBD (for grade 1-2 and 3-4 densities) was associated with increased MetS risk (p = 0.017). Total femoral BMD, total lumber BMD, femoral neck BMD were significantly higher in postmenopausal women with MetS (p < 0,005). This study is the first report focusing on the relationship between MetS and breast/bone density. According to the results of our study, the presence of MetS in postmenopausal periods has a positive effect on both MBD and BMD.