Acquisition of peak bone mass in a Norwegian youth cohort: longitudinal findings from the Fit Futures study 2010-2022.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective longitudinal cohort study
PubMed 38960953 · doi:10.1007/s11657-024-01414-2
What was done
The prospective Fit Futures cohort followed 980 Norwegian adolescents (473 females, 48%) across three assessment waves: 2010–2011 (FF1; median age 16, range 16–19), 2012–2013 (FF2; median age 18), and 2021–2022 (FF3; median age 27, range 26–29). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm²) at the femoral neck, total hip, and total body. Changes over time were assessed using linear mixed models.
What was found
- Femoral neck BMD: In females, mean BMD (g/cm², 95% CI) rose from 1.070 (1.059–1.082) at age 16 to 1.076 (1.065–1.088, p = 0.015) at age 18, before declining to 1.041 (1.029–1.053, p < 0.001) at age 27. In males, it went from 1.104 (1.091–1.116) at age 16 to 1.063 (1.050–1.077, p < 0.001) at age 27. - Total hip BMD: Exhibited comparable trajectories to the femoral neck, with statistically significant declines by age 27 in both sexes (both p < 0.001). - Total body BMD: Increased continuously from age 16 to 27 in both sexes (females: 1.141 [1.133–1.148] to 1.204 [1.196–1.212], p < 0.001; males: 1.179 [1.170–1.188] to 1.310 [1.296–1.315], p < 0.001).
Why it matters
These findings show that peak bone mass acquisition is site-specific; femoral and hip BMD peak around late adolescence and decline by the late twenties, whereas total body BMD continues accumulating into young adulthood.
Limits
The cohort is restricted to Norwegian youth, limiting generalizability to other geographic or ethnic populations. There is an approximate 8–9 year gap between the second and third visits, obscuring the exact age of peak bone accrual or when hip BMD began to decline. Attrition rates across visits and adjustment for lifestyle factors (e.g., physical activity, diet, vitamin D) are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- partial Muscle mass and bone density peak around age 25 and steadily decline thereafter.
- supports Peak muscle mass and peak bone density generally occur around 25 years of age before beginning to decline.