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Racial and gender differences in the relationship between sarcopenia and bone mineral density among older adults

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Abstract

Summary

Both sarcopenia and low bone mineral density (BMD) have become public health concerns. We found that presarcopenic and/or sarcopenic individuals were more likely to have lower BMD. And this relationship has race and sex-specific discrepancy.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to investigate the racial and gender differences in the relationship between sarcopenia and BMD among older adults.

Methods

Totally, 5476 subjects (mean age = 65.7 ± 6.4) of non-Hispanic White (n = 3297), non-Hispanic Black (n = 1265), and non-Hispanic Asian (n = 914) were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined according to the revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis of sarcopenia (EWGSOP2). General linear model and multivariable linear regression model were used to examine the relationship between sarcopenia and regional/whole body BMD stratified by race and sex. Adjustments were conducted for physiological, behavioral, and disease factors.

Results

Comparing with normal older participants, presarcopenic and sarcopenic elderly were more likely to have lower BMD. Although the difference was not statistically significant in a few sub-groups, among the three racial groups, the strongest association between sarcopenia and BMD was found in non-Hispanic Black people, followed by non-Hispanic White people and non-Hispanic Asian people. In addition, significant differences of BMD across sarcopenia stages were found in more sub-groups in women than in men after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusions

In this older cohort, sarcopenia is significantly related to low regional/whole-body BMD, and these associations vary by race and sex. Consideration in race and sex is warranted when developing strategies to maintain or minimize BMD loss.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    H.-T. Ning

  2. School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX, San Antonio, USA

    Y. Du

  3. Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, LA, New Orleans, USA

    L.-J. Zhao & Q. Tian

  4. Xiangya School of Nursing, Xiangya-Oceanwide Health Management Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    H. Feng

  5. School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

    H.-W. Deng

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  1. H.-T. Ning
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  2. Y. Du
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  6. H.-W. Deng
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Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Adjusted regression coefficient of sarcopenia stages and regional/whole body BMD by race and sex in model 1
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Table 5 Adjusted regression coefficient of sarcopenia stages and regional/whole body BMD by race and sex in model 2
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Ning, HT., Du, Y., Zhao, LJ. et al. Racial and gender differences in the relationship between sarcopenia and bone mineral density among older adults. Osteoporos Int 32, 841–851 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-020-05744-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-020-05744-y

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