Average Spine BMD for 40-Year-Old Males from NHANES
The provided evidence does not contain specific NHANES data reporting the average spine BMD value for 40-year-old males. However, based on available NHANES research, I can provide context about peak BMD timing and reference values.
Peak BMD Timing in Males
Males achieve peak lumbar spine BMD at approximately 23.6 years of age, with peak total hip BMD at 21.2 years and femoral neck at 20.5 years 1. By age 40, men are well past their peak bone mass acquisition phase.
Available Reference Data
NHANES-Based Peak BMD Values
- The updated NHANES reference data (2005-2014) established peak lumbar spine BMD at 1.065 g/cm² (SD 0.122 g/cm²) for the reference population of young non-Hispanic White females 2
- For males specifically, a Danish population study found total lumbar spine BMD of 1.073 ± 0.125 g/cm² in young men aged 20-30 years, though this differed significantly from Hologic reference values 3
Age-Related Patterns
- Lumbar spine BMD does not decline significantly with age in men (unlike women, who show progressive decline), suggesting that 40-year-old males maintain BMD values close to their peak levels 4
- NHANES 2005-2008 data demonstrated that lumbar spine BMD remained relatively stable across adult male age groups 4
Clinical Context
Diagnostic Framework
- The WHO defines normal BMD as a T-score ≥ -1.0, osteopenia as T-score between -1.0 and -2.5, and osteoporosis as T-score ≤ -2.5 5
- T-scores compare an individual's BMD to the young adult reference mean using the female NHANES reference range for both sexes 6
Important Caveats
- Specific average BMD values for 40-year-old males are not directly reported in the NHANES publications provided - the data focuses on peak BMD timing and older adult populations
- Geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors significantly affect BMD, making population-specific reference values important 3
- The evidence shows males generally have higher absolute BMD than females, with estimated maximum bone mass occurring around age 30 at approximately 1.45 ± 0.18 g/cm² for spine BMD 7
For precise average spine BMD values specific to 40-year-old males from NHANES, you would need to access the raw NHANES datasets directly or contact the National Center for Health Statistics, as published literature focuses on peak BMD timing and older populations rather than decade-specific averages for middle-aged men.