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Osteoporosis and sarcopenia: two diseases or one?
Jean-Yves Reginster1, Charlotte Beaudart, Fanny Buckinx
1aDepartment of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics bSupport Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
|September 30, 2015
Summary
This review highlights the bone-muscle unit, where communication between bone and muscle impacts aging and disease. Targeting these pathways may lead to new treatments for osteoporosis and sarcopenia.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Bone and muscle wasting are common in aging and disease.
- The bone-muscle unit concept suggests bidirectional communication between these tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent evidence on common pathways of bone and muscle wasting.
- To explore the implications for treating age-related musculoskeletal decline.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recently published studies.
- Analysis of research on the bone-muscle unit and its signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports a 'bone-muscle unit' with constant cross-talk.
- Skeletal muscle secretome affects bone; osteokines impact muscle.
- Shared pathways contribute to bone and muscle wasting in aging and pathology.
Conclusions:
- Targeting central regulatory pathways or inter-tissue communication can treat bone and muscle loss.
- Development of novel therapeutics for simultaneous osteoporosis and sarcopenia treatment is feasible.
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