Does Combined Osteopenia/Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Confer Greater Risk of Falls and Fracture Than Either Condition Alone in Older Men? The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether older men with osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia (so-called osteosarcopenia) are at greater risk of falls and fractures than those with either condition alone. METHODS: One thousand five hundred seventy-five community-dwelling men aged ≥70 years had appendicular lean mass, total hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and completed hand grip strength and gait speed tests. Osteopenia/osteoporosis was defined as a T-score at any site ≤-1.0 SD. Sarcopenia was defined using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia algorithm. Participants were contacted every 4 months for 6 ± 2 years to ascertain incident fra..