Low Grip Strength and Muscle Mass Increase the Prevalence of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in Elderly Women

Independent factors that attenuate the effectiveness of fracture rehabilitation in improving activities of daily living in female patients aged 80 years and above

BACKGROUND

Some factors, such as cognitive impairment, can attenuate the effectiveness of rehabilitation. We hypothesized that handgrip strength (HGS) might be one of the independent factors affecting the activities of daily living (ADL) improvements in patients with fractures.

AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between HGS and improvement in ADL during rehabilitation, and to assess the factors affecting ADL improvement among older patients ≥ 80 years with fractures.

METHODS

This longitudinal study was conducted at a rehabilitation hospital among 427 females aged ≥ 80 years, who underwent fracture rehabilitation. Patients were divided into two groups based on their HGS. Analysis of comparison between the two groups and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed with respect to functional independence measure (FIM) gain during rehabilitation.

RESULTS

FIM gain was significantly lower in the weak HGS group (31.5 [20.0-41.0]) than in the strong HGS group (35.0 [27.5-47.0], p = 0.011). In multivariate linear regression analyses, HGS was significantly associated with FIM gain (coefficient: 0.683, 95% confidence intervals 0.302-1.064, p < 0.001). In addition, Mini-Mental State Examination, necessity of assistance in ADL before injury, length of hospital stays for rehabilitation, and period of rehabilitation per day were significantly associated with FIM gain.

CONCLUSIONS

Weak HGS, cognitive impairment, and necessity of assistance in ADL before injury could be independent factors that attenuate the effectiveness of fracture rehabilitation to improve ADL in old female patients. We encourage such patients to undertake more rehabilitation for improving their ADL, and not refrain from rehabilitation due to old age and fracture.

Pathophysiology of Demineralization, Part I: Attrition, Erosion, Abfraction, and Noncarious Cervical Lesions

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

Compare pathophysiology for infectious and noninfectious demineralization disease relative to mineral maintenance, physiologic fluoride levels, and mechanical degradation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Environmental acidity, biomechanics, and intercrystalline percolation of endemic fluoride regulate resistance to demineralization relative to osteopenia, noncarious cervical lesions, and dental caries. Demineralization is the most prevalent chronic disease in the world: osteoporosis (OP) >10%, dental caries ~100%. OP is severely debilitating while caries is potentially fatal. Mineralized tissues have a common physiology: cell-mediated apposition, protein matrix, fluid logistics (blood, saliva), intercrystalline ion percolation, cyclic demineralization/remineralization, and acid-based degradation (microbes, clastic cells). Etiology of demineralization involves fluid percolation, metabolism, homeostasis, biomechanics, mechanical wear (attrition or abrasion), and biofilm-related infections. Bone mineral density measurement assesses skeletal mass. Attrition, abrasion, erosion, and abfraction are diagnosed visually, but invisible subsurface caries <400μm cannot be detected. Controlling demineralization at all levels is an important horizon for cost-effective wellness worldwide.

Association between muscle mass, bone mineral density and osteoporosis in type 2 diabetes

Aims/Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased incidence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia. However, the relationship between osteoporosis and sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus remains to be unclear. Appendicular skeletal muscle was adjusted by height (appendicular skeletal muscle mass [ASM]/height²) as a marker of sarcopenia. This study aimed to explore the relationship between ASM/height², osteoporosis and bone mineral density (BMD) in this population.

Materials and Methods

A total of 192 women and 225 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited. General information, laboratory and BMD data were collected. Spearman’s correlation, multiple regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used to explore the correlation between ASM/height², BMD and bone metabolism markers.

Results

Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that ASM/height² had a positive correlation with serum calcium and BMD (r = 0.209–0.404, P < 0.01). In multivariate regression analysis, we found significant correlations between ASM/height² and total lumbar spine, hip and femur neck BMD. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, ASM/height² was the best marker of osteoporosis, with a cut‐off value of 7.87 kg/m² for men and 5.94 kg/m² for women. When these cut‐off values were used to identify sarcopenia, the risk of osteoporosis increased 6.036‐fold in men and 4.079‐fold in women, respectively.

Conclusions

In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, ASM/height² was positively correlated with BMD, and negatively correlated with osteoporosis.