Association of sarcopenia with osteoporosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Systemic consequence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is associated with progressive loss of muscle mass and function. Preliminary studies showed presence of sarcopenia in COPD leads to reduced pulmonary function and quality of life; studies on whether this condition results in consequent loss of bone mineral density (BMD) is still inconsistent. This study aims to examine the association of sarcopenia in COPD with osteoporosis.

This is a post-hoc analysis of a study on forty-one (n = 41) participants with COPD seen in a tertiary public hospital in Manila, Philippines who underwent pulmonary function test and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia was defined using a Philippine-based criteria of low fat free mass index (FFMI) and low muscle strength - hand grip strength, and osteoporosis using World Health Organization T-score diagnostic criteria.

The prevalence of osteoporosis among COPD is 44%, and 63% in COPD with sarcopenia. There was no statistical difference seen in pulmonary function variables between COPD with and without osteoporosis. Significant positive correlations were observed between Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s, FFMI, and appendicular lean muscle with total body BMD. Sarcopenia in COPD was associated with significantly increased risk for osteoporosis.

High prevalence rate of osteoporosis, and even higher among sarcopenic Filipino COPD patients should be further studied. The findings also suggest that sarcopenia in COPD is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis, and osteoporosis alone does not seem to affect lung function.