Dietary Patterns, Bone Mineral Density, and Risk of Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the evidence on the relation between dietary patterns, bone mineral density (BMD), and risk of fracture in different age groups. Medline and Embase were searched for articles that identified dietary patterns and related these to BMD or risk of fracture through May 2018. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) comparing the lowest and highest categories of dietary pattern were combined by using a random effects meta-analysis. In total, 31 studies were selected for review, including 18 cohorts, 1 case-control, and 12 cross-sectional studies, in the meta-analysis of Prudent/healthy and Western/unhealthy dietary pattern, BMD, and risk of fracture. There was evidence of a lower risk of fracture when intakes in the highest categories were compared with the lowest categories of Prudent/healthy dietary pattern (OR = 0.81; 95%CI: 0.69, 0.95; p = 0.01). In contrast, when intakes in the highest categories were compared with the lowest categories of Western/unhealthy dietary pattern, a greater risk of fracture (OR = 1.10; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.19; p = 0.01) was observed among men. The present systematic review and meta-analysis provides evidence of an inverse association between a Prudent/healthy dietary pattern and risk of low BMD and a positive relation between Western/unhealthy dietary pattern and risk of low BMD.