The Associations of Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity on Osteoporosis

Abstract Objectives Osteoporosis is a common and debilitating condition that disproportionately affects older adults, particularly women, leading to increased fracture risk and reduced quality of life. While traditional risk factors such as age, hormonal changes, and lifestyle are well established, the impacts of diabetes and obesity on osteoporosis remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate associations between diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis diagnosis in Caucasian women aged 64 years and older. Materials and Methods Data on osteoporosis diagnosis, diabetes diagnosis, and body mass index (BMI) were obtained from the publicly available Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) database. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS software. Associations between diabetes, BMI, and osteoporosis were evaluated at two study visits (visit 1 and visit 8). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analyses were used to assess relationships among variables. Results No significant association was found between diabetes and osteoporosis at visit 1 (p = 0.966); however, a statistically significant association emerged at visit 8 (p < 0.001). A weak negative correlation between diabetes and osteoporosis was observed at visit 8 (r = –0.068, p < 0.001), indicating that participants with diabetes were slightly less likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis. BMI category was significantly associated with osteoporosis at both visits (p < 0.001). Post hoc analyses revealed that overweight and obese women had a lower likelihood of osteoporosis than underweight or normal-weight participants. Conclusions Diabetes showed no consistent association with osteoporosis diagnosis, whereas higher BMI appeared to exert a protective effect against osteoporosis in older women.