TY - JOUR PY - 2019// TI - Mid-calf skeletal muscle density and its associations with physical activity, bone health and incident 12-month falls in older adults: the Healthy Ageing Initiative JO - Bone A1 - Scott, David A1 - Johansson, Jonas A1 - McMillan, Lachlan B. A1 - Ebeling, Peter R. A1 - Nordström, Anna A1 - Nordström, Peter SP - 446 EP - 451 VL - 120 IS - N2 - BACKGROUND: Lower skeletal muscle density, indicating greater infiltration of adipose tissue into muscles, is associated with higher fracture risk in older adults. We aimed to determine whether mid-calf muscle density is associated with falls risk and bone health in community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS: 2214 community-dwelling men and women who participated in the Healthy Ageing Initiative (Sweden) study at age 70 were included in this analysis. Mid-calf muscle density (mg/cm3) at the proximal tibia, and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and architecture at the distal and proximal tibia and radius, were assessed by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Whole-body lean and fat mass, lumbar spine and total hip areal bone mineral density (aBMD) were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Participants completed seven-day accelerometer measurements of physical activity intensity, and self-reported falls data were collected 6 and 12 months later.

RESULTS: 302 (13.5%) participants reported a fall at the 6- or 12-month interview, and 29 (1.3%) reported a fall at both interviews. After adjustment for confounders, lower mid-calf muscle density was associated with a trend towards greater likelihood of experiencing a fall (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.00, 1.29 per SD lower) and significantly greater likelihood of multiple falls (1.61; 1.16, 2.23). Lower muscle density was not associated with total hip aBMD, and was associated with higher lumbar spine aBMD (B = 0.012; 95% CI 0.004, 0.019 per SD lower) and lower proximal cortical vBMD (-2.86; -4.95, -0.78) at the radius. At the tibia, lower muscle density was associated with lower distal total and trabecular vBMD, and proximal total and cortical vBMD, cortical thickness, cortical area and stress-strain index (all P < 0.05). Only moderate/vigorous intensity physical activity, not sedentary time or light activity, was associated with higher mid-calf muscle density (0.086; 0.034, 0.138).

CONCLUSIONS: Lower mid-calf muscle density is independently associated with higher likelihood for multiple incident falls and appears to have localised negative effects on bone structure in older adults.

Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 8756-3282 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2018.12.004 ID - ref1 ER -