Back to all available

Research of the lipoprotein combined index and its association with osteoporosis in elderly Chinese adults: a retrospective study

geriatrics
orthopedics
metabolic-sciences

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between the lipoprotein combined index (LCI) and the risk of osteoporosis (OP) in elderly Chinese individuals.

Methods: This retrospective study encompassed 7,383 participants aged 60 years and older who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) with quantitative CT (QCT) at the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei city, China, from January 2023 to June 2025. Participants were classified into non-osteoporosis (non-OP) and osteoporosis (OP) groups based on lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD), with thresholds set at BMD ≥ 80 mg/cm³ for non-OP and BMD < 80 mg/cm³ for OP. The LCI is determined using the formula: ( total cholesterol × triglycerides × LDL-C ) / HDL-C. LCI levels were divided into quartiles (Q1–Q4). The association between LCI and OP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) plots, and subgroup analyses.

Results: The study found that LCI levels were significantly lower in the OP group compared to the non-OP group (P < 0.001). Upon multivariate adjustment, it was observed that higher LCI levels were associated with a decreased risk of OP (OR = 0.993, 95% CI: 0.990–0.997, P < 0.001). Specifically, individuals in the Q4 group exhibited a 19.3% lower risk compared to those in the Q1 group (OR = 0.807, 95% CI: 0.681–0.956, P = 0.013). The restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis demonstrated a nonlinear relationship (P = 0.048), identifying a threshold effect at an LCI of 18; below this threshold, no significant correlation was observed, whereas above it, each unit increase in LCI corresponded to a 1.0% reduction in risk. Subgroup analysis revealed that the protective effect of LCI was more pronounced in participants without a history of cerebral infarction (P for interaction = 0.003).

Conclusion: Higher LCI levels are independently associated with a reduced risk of OP in older adults, particularly when LCI is ≥ 18. LCI could potentially serve as a biomarker for the role of lipid metabolism in OP.

Ask to review this manuscript

Notes for potential reviewers

  • Volunteering is not a guarantee that you will be asked to review. There are many reasons: reviewers must be qualified, there should be no conflicts of interest, a minimum of two reviewers have already accepted an invitation, etc.
  • This is NOT OPEN peer review. The review is single-blind, and all recommendations are sent privately to the Academic Editor handling the manuscript. All reviews are published and reviewers can choose to sign their reviews.
  • What happens after volunteering? It may be a few days before you receive an invitation to review with further instructions. You will need to accept the invitation to then become an official referee for the manuscript. If you do not receive an invitation it is for one of many possible reasons as noted above.
  • PeerJ does not judge submissions based on subjective measures such as novelty, impact or degree of advance. Effectively, reviewers are asked to comment on whether or not the submission is scientifically and technically sound and therefore deserves to join the scientific literature. Our Peer Review criteria can be found on the "Editorial Criteria" page - reviewers are specifically asked to comment on 3 broad areas: "Basic Reporting", "Experimental Design" and "Validity of the Findings".
  • Reviewers are expected to comment in a timely, professional, and constructive manner.
  • Until the article is published, reviewers must regard all information relating to the submission as strictly confidential.
  • When submitting a review, reviewers are given the option to "sign" their review (i.e. to associate their name with their comments). Otherwise, all review comments remain anonymous.
  • All reviews of published articles are published. This includes manuscript files, peer review comments, author rebuttals and revised materials.
  • Each time a decision is made by the Academic Editor, each reviewer will receive a copy of the Decision Letter (which will include the comments of all reviewers).

If you have any questions about submitting your review, please email us at [email protected].