title: Impact of a new sarco-osteopenia definition on health-related quality of life in a population-based cohort in Northern Europe.
abstract: Sarcopenia has been shown to be a marker of falling; therefore, combining osteopenia and sarcopenia could identify a frailer, higher-fracture-risk population. We aimed to define sarco-osteopenia (SOP) in a population-based healthy young sample using both muscle functional and quantitative parameters and assessing the impact of this definition on health-related quality of life. A population sample of 304 patients aged 25-70 yr was analyzed with a Lunar DPX-IQ dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry machine (GE Healthcare, Pollards Wood, UK), and their health-related quality of life was assessed with the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. SOP was defined as bone mineral density (BMD) -1 standard deviation (SD) and height-adjusted appendicular muscle mass -2 SD and/or grip strength -2 SD less than the mean values of 77 young individuals in the population sample (age: 25-39 yr). Our proposed SOP definition identifies 3-9% of the population older than 40 yr as sarco-osteopenic. These individuals also show markedly lower scores in the role-physical (p=0.01), vitality (p=0.03), and role-emotional (p=0.02) subscales of the SF-36 questionnaire. No difference in the quality of life was observed between osteopenic individuals and those with normal BMD. The new definition identifies a population with significant decrements in health-related quality of life.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Mart
authors: M
authors: Kull
authors: Riina
authors: R
authors: Kallikorm
authors: Margus
authors: M
authors: Lember
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires