Novel association between atherogenic index of plasma and bone mineral density in men: a retrospective analysis

This study aimed to investigate the association between the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), lipid parameters, and bone mineral density (BMD) in men with osteoporosis. This retrospective, single-center study included 430 male patients aged ≥ 50 years admitted to the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between June 2022 and December 2024. Routine blood lipid profiles, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were collected. AIP was calculated as log10(TG/HDL). BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and patients were categorized into normal (NO), osteopenia (ON), and osteoporosis (OP) groups. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were applied. Among 430 participants, 218 were classified as NO, 133 as ON, and 79 as OP. PCA revealed that the first two components (PC1 eigenvalue = 2.127, PC2 eigenvalue = 1.531) explained 73.15% of the total variance (PC1: 42.53%, PC2: 30.62%), with AIP and TC identified as major contributors to BMD variation. Correlation analysis showed that AIP (r = -0.26,p = 0.003), TG (r = -0.15,p = 0.047), and HDL (r = 0.34,p < 0.001) were significantly associated with BMD, while TC and LDL were not. ANOVA demonstrated significant group differences in AIP and HDL, particularly between the OP and NO groups. Elevated AIP and altered HDL levels are associated with reduced BMD in men, highlighting their potential role in the early identification and risk stratification of male osteoporosis. This study examined the association between blood lipids and bone mineral density (BMD) in men. Among 430 participants, BMD showed significant correlations with the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP, p = 0.003), triglycerides (TG, p = 0.047), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, p < 0.001). Elevated AIP and altered HDL levels were linked to lower BMD, suggesting these lipid markers may serve as cost-effective indicators for assessing osteoporosis risk in men.