Relationship between sarcopenia indices and BMD variables in healthy community-dwelling older women

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between sarcopenia indices and bone mineral density (BMD) values using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to examine the proper threshold of sarcopenia-related indices in healthy older women. Eighty-six community-dwelling healthy postmenopausal women aged over 50 (median 67; IQR 60-73) were enrolled. Body composition, including skeletal muscle index (SMI) and BMD values of the L-spine(LS) and femoral neck (FN) were evaluated using DXA. Hand-grip strength (HGS) and the speed of the 6-minute walk test (6 MWS) were used as sarcopenia indices to evaluate physical performance. HGS and 6MWS were significantly decreased in patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis and BMD of the FN. BMD values from the LS and FN were significantly correlated with HGS. The 6MWS, as a performance score, was significantly associated only with the BMD of the FN. In postmenopausal older women, muscle strength and gait speed can be the indices to estimate femoral neck BMD rather than lumbar BMD. Older women with low HGS and 6 MWS scores can be a red flag for musculoskeletal health, and more attention is required.