Life course dietary patterns and bone health in later life in a British birth cohort study

Abstract

Evidence for the contribution of individual foods and nutrients to bone health is weak. Few studies have considered hypothesis-based dietary patterns and bone health. We investigated whether a protein, calcium and potassium-rich (PrCaK-rich) dietary pattern over the adult life course, was positively associated with bone outcomes at 60-64 years of age. Diet diaries were collected at ages 36, 46, 53 and 60-64 years in 1263 participants (661 women) from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development. DXA and pQCT measurements were obtained at 60-64y, including size-adjusted bone mineral content (SA-BMC) and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD). A food-based dietary pattern best explaining dietary calcium, potassium and protein intakes (g/1000?kcal) was identified using reduced rank regression. Dietary pattern z-scores were calculated for each individual, at each time point. Individual trajectories in dietary pattern z-scores were modelled to summarise changes in z-scores over the study period. Regression models examined associations between these trajectories and bone outcomes at 60-64y, adjusting for baseline dietary pattern z-score and other confounders. A consistent PrCaK-rich dietary pattern was identified within the population, over time. Mean [SD] dietary pattern z-scores at age 36 and 60-64 years were -0.32[0.97], 2.2[1.5] (women) and -0.35[0.98], 1.7[1.6] (men). Mean trajectory in dietary pattern z-scores [SD] was 0.07[0.02]SD units/year. Among women, a 0.02 SD unit/year higher trajectory in dietary pattern z-score over time was associated with higher SA-BMC (spine 1.40% [95% CI: 0.30,2.51]; hip 1.35% [95% CI: 0.48,2.23]) and vBMD (radius 1.81% [95% CI: 0.13,3.50]) at 60-64 y. No statistically significant associations were found in men. During adulthood, an increasing score for a dietary pattern rich in protein, calcium and potassium was associated with greater SA-BMC at fracture-prone sites in women. This study emphasises the importance of these nutrients, within the context of the whole diet, to bone health

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ORCID for Kate A. Ward: orcid.org/0000-0001-7034-6750

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