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Muscle strength is associated with bone health independently of muscle mass in postmenopausal women: the Japanese population-based osteoporosis study

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Abstract

There are conflicting reports on whether muscle strength is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) independently of muscle mass. Here, we examined the association between muscle strength and BMD in a representative population of Japanese women. Cross-sectional data from 680 postmenopausal women, who were participants in the 15th-year follow-up survey of the Japanese Population-based Osteoporosis cohort study, were analyzed. Areal BMD (aBMD) at the femoral neck and lumbar spine, whole-body bone mineral density, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM, kg) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The ASM index (ASMI, kg/m2) was calculated as ASM divided by height squared (m2). Grip strength (kg) was measured as an indicator of muscle strength. Grip strength showed significantly (P < 0.05) positive relationships with aBMDs at several skeletal sites after adjusting for ASMI and age (standardized partial regression coefficient (β) = 0.102 at femoral neck, β = 0.126 at lumbar spine). Adjusted means of aBMD at the femoral neck and lumbar spine showed significant increasing trends from the lowest to highest tertile of grip strength. Our findings indicate that muscle strength is associated with aBMD at several sites independently of muscle mass in Japanese postmenopausal women. Thus, postmenopausal women with strong muscle strength tend to have a healthy bone status regardless of muscle size.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank personnel at the health departments of Sanuki, Joetsu, Nishi-aizu, and Memuro for their excellent support, and Toyo Medic Co. (Osaka, Japan) and Toyukai Medical Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) for their technical assistance. This study represents a part of the research conducted by the Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis study group (Chairman Hideo Yoneshima, MD, PhD, Shuwa General Hospital), comprising Fumiaki Marumo (former chairman, Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Medical and Dental University), Toshihisa Matsuzaki (former cochairman, Professor Emeritus, University of the Ryukyus), Yoshiko Kagawa (Kagawa Nutrition University), Takashi Akiba (Tokyo Women’s Medical University), Harumi Nishino (Toyama Pharmaceutical Association), Tomoharu Matsukura (Toyama Prefectural Government),Toshio Matsumoto (University of Tokushima Graduate School of Medical Sciences), and Takashi Yamagami (Hokuriku Health Service Association), in addition to the authors. This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI Grant Nos. 23390180, 23590824, 23657176, and 23659362) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Oono-Higashi, Osaka-Sayama, 589-8511, Japan

    Takahiro Tachiki, Katsuyasu Kouda, Masayuki Iki, Yuki Fujita & Akiko Yura

  2. Department of Orthopedic Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. 1 Yingfang Road, Huimin District, Hohhot, 010030, China

    Namiraa Dongmei

  3. Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigakumachi, Takatsuki, 569-8686, Japan

    Junko Tamaki

  4. Center for Human and Social Sciences, Kitasato University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, 252-0373, Japan

    Jun Kitagawa

  5. Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University School of Allied Health Sciences, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, 252-0373, Japan

    Naonobu Takahira

  6. Department of Human Life, Jin-ai University, 3-1-1 Ohde-cho, Echizen, 915-8586, Japan

    Yuho Sato

  7. Department of Nursing, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-20 Daiko-Minami, Higashi, Nagoya, 461-8673, Japan

    Etsuko Kajita

  8. University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Sadanobu Kagamimori

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  1. Takahiro Tachiki
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  2. Katsuyasu Kouda
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  3. Namiraa Dongmei
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  4. Junko Tamaki
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  5. Masayuki Iki
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  7. Naonobu Takahira
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  8. Yuho Sato
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  9. Etsuko Kajita
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  10. Yuki Fujita
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  12. Sadanobu Kagamimori
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Correspondence to Masayuki Iki.

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Tachiki, T., Kouda, K., Dongmei, N. et al. Muscle strength is associated with bone health independently of muscle mass in postmenopausal women: the Japanese population-based osteoporosis study. J Bone Miner Metab 37, 53–59 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-017-0895-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-017-0895-7

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