| [ Summary ] |
In our rapidly-aging population, sarcopenia and osteoporosis have become serious health problems. We conducted a large-scale, population-based, cohort study termed the "Research on Osteoarthritis / osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD)" study. We found that the prevalence of osteoporosis in men was 3.4 %, 12.4 %, and 6.1 % at the L2-4, femoral neck, and total hip, respectively, and in women, it was 19.2 %, 26.5 %, and 16.3 % at the L2-4, femoral neck, and total hip, respectively. Age, body mass index (BMI), and gender were significantly correlated with the prevalence of osteoporosis. Both muscle strength and volume were significantly correlated to the age of the elderly individual. The correlation of muscle strength to age was stronger than that of muscle volume. Vertebral fractures (VFx) were significantly associated with a lower quality of life (QOL). The impact of VFx on QOL was stronger than knee osteoarthritis or a history of cerebral strokes. Grip strength was also significantly associated with QOL. In addition, we found that grip strength was significantly associated with bone mineral density after adjustment for age and BMI. Therefore, more effective methods should be developed to prevent sarcopenia and osteoporosis. |