Comparison of body composition, nutritional status, functional status, and quality of life between osteoporotic and osteopenic postmenopausal women

Quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and osteopenia: associations with bone microarchitecture and nutritional status

PURPOSE

Primary aim of the study was to investigate the status of different health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and osteopenia, and to explore possible associations with bone microarchitecture and nutritional status.

METHODS

This was a single-center cross-sectional study that included 232 postmenopausal women, from which they were divided into three groups-osteoporosis (OP, N = 63), osteopenia (OPIA, N = 123), and control group (N = 46). Detailed medical history data and anthropometric measurements were taken from all women. Bone structure parameters were taken with DXA device, with additional analysis of bone microarchitecture status with Trabecular Bone Score (TBS). Nutritional status was assessed with Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire, and HRQoL with Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire.

RESULTS

Nutrition evaluation analysis have shown that patients in OP group had significantly lower values of MNA score compared to the OPIA group and control group (P = 0.005). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between all of the SF-36 domains and MNA scores, while significant positive correlation was found between TBS values and Physical functioning (P < 0.001), Bodily pain (P = 0.027), Social functioning (P = 0.029), and Vitality domains (P = 0.041) in total investigated population. Further analyses were performed only in OP and OPIA groups, and TBS score showed significant positive correlation with Physical functioning (r = 0.248, P < 0.001) and Bodily pain domains as well (r = 0.180, P = 0.014), while MNA score positively correlated with each of the SF-36 domains. Multiple regression models have shown that MNA score retained significant association with each SF-36 domains, and TBS value with Physical functioning (P = 0.003), Social functioning (P = 0.012), and Vitality domains (P = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the associations that TBS has with some domains of HRQoL in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and osteopenia. Moreover, nutritional status could play a role in the complex interplay between TBS and HRQoL.

Nutritional status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: is there an association with the sarcopenic phenotype of body composition?

Aim – to evaluate the nutritional status and its relationship with the sarcopenic phenotype of body composition in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Material and methods. The study included 91 women aged 40 to 75 years with RA according to ACR/EULAR criteria (2010) and a disease duration of at least 1 year. A questionnaire, laboratory and densitometric examination were conducted. Nutritional status was assessed using a MNA (Mini Nutricial Assessment) questionnaire.

Results. Malnutrition and at risk of malnutrition according to the MNA were detected in 44.0% of patients with RA. These patients differed from those with normal nutritional status with a higher risk of osteoporotic hip fractures according to FRAX (p=0.035), lower appendicular muscle mass (AMM) (p=0.048) and lower self-assessment of health status (p=0.012). Patients significantly differed in nutritional status according to MNA, daily intake of calcium with food, circumferences of the mid-upper arm, calf, waist and hips, depending on the presence of sarcopenic phenotype. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the sarcopenic phenotype was associated with a nutritional status according to MNA less than 24 points (odds ratio (OR) – 6.14; p=0.036), daily calcium intake less than 500 mg (OR=9.55; p=0.007) and mid-upper arm circumference less than 25 cm (OR=9.32; p=0.015).

Conclusion. Malnutrition was found in almost half of the patients with RA. It was revealed that a low nutritional status according to the MNA, low calcium intake and mid-upper arm circumference less than 25 cm increased the risk of having a sarcopenic phenotype in women with RA.