Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA
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Comparative Study
Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the heel bone and its correlates in men and women in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort: a cross-sectional population-based study.
Osteoporotic fractures have substantial clinical and public health impact. Bone quality is an important determinant of fracture risk. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of bone measured as broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) has been shown to predict fracture risk. ⋯ The BUA of those with a current smoking habit was 1.7% lower in women and 3.2% lower in men. Overall, there are substantial sex differences in the relationship of the physical and osteoporotic risk factors associated with BUA. A better understanding of these determinants of heel ultrasound may provide insights into how some of the sex differences in bone health can be explained and bone loss in later life minimised.