Sarcopenia and Its Association with Vertebral Fractures in People Living with HIV

The prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the post ART era. Sarcopenia is prevalent in the elderly and is associated with many chronic diseases. Our study aimed to evaluate the frequency of sarcopenia in PLHIV and its association with bone mineral density and fracture. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Santa Maria, South Brazil. It included PLHV age ≥ 50 years and registered to receive antiretroviral therapy. A structured questionnaire was applied, blood samples collected, muscle strength evaluated, body composition measured, and vertebral morphometry performed. Sarcopenia and presarcopenia were defined according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Of the 101 patients recruited, 83 underwent DXA and muscle strength measurements. The prevalence of sarcopenia and presarcopenia in the individuals studied was 12% and 16.9%, respectively. 66.7% of sarcopenic individuals had morphometric vertebral fractures and there was a tendency towards a higher frequency of multiple vertebral fractures when compared with non-sarcopenic subjects (44.4% vs. 16.2%, p = 0.066). BMI and total hip BMD were significantly lower in sarcopenic than non-sarcopenic individuals (p ≥ 0.035 and 0.032 respectively). In multiple regression analysis, sarcopenia was associated with age and multiple vertebral fractures. Sarcopenia was present in 12% of this population of PLHIV age ≥ 50 years and was associated with lower hip BMD and a high prevalence of vertebral fractures.