Bone Abstracts

Background: Sarcopenic obesity is usually defined by the combination of sarcopenia and obesity but there is not a standard definition yet. The recommended method for the quantification of muscle mass is dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), based on assessment of total fat mass and appendicular lean mass. Low Body Mass Index (BMI) used to be considered as a risk factor for fragility fracture. However, recent evidences have demonstrated a correlation between BMI and vertebral fractures in post-menopausal women. The aim of our study is to evaluate the influence of sarcopenic obesity on osteoporosis and vertebral fragility fractures in post-menopausal women.

Methods: In our retrospective case–control study, participants were recruited among post-menopausal women aged 50 years or older with a BMI≥30 kg/m² from January 2011 through December 2013. According to Newman et al. definition, based on appendicular lean mass adjusted for height and body fat mass (residuals), these patients were classified in two groups: sarcopenic obeses and non sarcopenic obeses. We evaluated bone mineral density at lumbar spine, femoral neck and total body DXA scans. Vertebral fragility fractures were identified using the technique of lateral vertebral assessment (LVA) of DXA scan.

Results: We evaluated 133 women mean aged 63.71 years±8.59 (min. 50 years and max. 84 years) with a mean BMI of 34.31±3.96 kg/m² (min. 30.04 and max. 53.97). Forty-seven patients (35.33%) of our population had sarcopenic obesity, 19 of these patients (40.43%) were osteoporotic and 15 (31.91%) had a vertebral fracture: 8 (17.02%) with a single vertebral fracture and 7 (14.89%) with multiple vertebral fractures. Sarcopenic obesity was associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis (odds ratio, (OR) 1.20; 95% Confidence Interval, CI 0.25 0.58) and a higher risk of vertebral fractures (OR 1.21; 95% CI 0.56–2.62).

Conclusions: In our cohort of post-menopausal women, sarcopenic obesity was associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis and vertebral fragility fractures.