RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To compare peripheral bone mineral density alterations among Brazilian postmenopausal women from three ethnic groups considering age and body mass index influence; to correlate their bone mineral density with the mandibular cortical index (MCI); and to evaluate the influence of age, body mass index and ethnicity in the MCI using risk factor analysis. BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis risk is known to have ethical influences. However, little is known about the differences in ethnicity in radiomorphometric indices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 150 postmenopausal women with different ethnicities (Caucasian, Asian and Afro-descendant) who underwent peripheral dual X-ray absorptiometry and panoramic examination were included. Bone mineral density and MCI were assessed. Adjusted odds ratio analyses were performed on bone density and MCI considering the effect of age, ethnicity and body mass index. The correlations between the MCI and the dual X-ray absorptiometry results were made. RESULTS: Old age, low body mass index and non-Afro-descendant were associated with low bone density. Compared with Afro-descendants, Asians and Caucasians have higher chances of having decreased bone mass. For the MCI, statistical analysis showed that age is the only variable associated with osteoporotic alterations in the mandible. Furthermore, an inverse correlation was found between the MCI and the T-scores. CONCLUSION: Bone density is higher in Brazilian Afro-descendant women than in Caucasians and Asians. Patient's age is associated with bone density and the MCI. The mandibular cortical index is inversely correlated with the peripheral densitometry results within the study ethnic population.
Assuntos
Etnicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Osteoporose Pós-Menopausa/etnologia , Absorciometria de Fóton , Adulto , Idoso , Povo Asiático/estatística & dados numéricos , População Negra/estatística & dados numéricos , Densidade Óssea , Brasil/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Mandíbula/patologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Osteoporose Pós-Menopausa/epidemiologia , Osteoporose Pós-Menopausa/patologia , Pós-Menopausa , Fatores de Risco , População Branca/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Mental artery flow decreases with age and may have an aetiological role in alveolar ridge atrophy. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with alterations of mental artery flow, assessed by ultrasonography. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on elderly patients (aged above 60 years) at the beginning of dental treatment. Intraoral B-mode Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess mental artery flow. The cases were defined as patients with a weak/absent ultrasound signal, whereas the controls presented a strong ultrasound signal. Demographics and radiographic findings (low bone mineral density on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and mandibular cortical index on panoramic radiographs) were analysed as risk factors for weak/absent ultrasound signal and were calculated as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using conditional logistic regression. In addition, the Student's t-test was used to compare the mean alveolar bone height of the analysed groups. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 30 ultrasound examinations (12 cases and 18 controls) were analysed. A weak/absent mental artery pulse strength was significantly associated with edentulism (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI = 0.86-15.63; p = 0.046). In addition, there was a significant difference in alveolar bone height between edentulous cases and controls (p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, the present results indicate that edentulism is associated with diminished mental artery flow, which, in turn, affects alveolar bone height.