| Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and bone mineral density (BMD) taking into account serum vitamin D levels in postmenopausal women. Methods From January 2015 to February 2018, a total of 244 postmenopausal women participated in this study; all of them were not taking osteoporosis medication and were not suffering from any chronic disorder. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess BMD of the total hip, femoral neck and lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4). Each person was categorized based on the World Health Organization osteoporosis criteria in at least one skeletal region. At the end of the data collection, lipid profiles and vitamin D levels were measured for all participants. Serum vitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL were defined as vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Results 27.9% of all participants had osteoporosis. Osteoporotic participants tended to be older with higher HDL serum levels (P<0.05). No significant difference was seen in low-density lipoprotein, total triglyceride and total cholesterol levels among participants (P>0.05). In a univariate model, after adjusting for age, menopausal age, obesity, physical activity, and use of antihyperlipidemic drugs (statins), there were significant negative associations between HDL levels and BMD values and T-score in the three regions (P<0.05). Interestingly, after classification of participants based on vitamin D levels and adjustment for confounding factors, the significant negative associations between HDL levels and BMD values and T-score in the three regions were only observed in participants with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (P<0.05). Conclusion Our data show that in postmenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency, serum levels of HDL have negative correlation with bone mass. |