Clinical Outcomes of Impaired Muscle and Bone Interactions

Muscle and bone are in constant interaction. With aging, there is a progressive decline in muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, as well as in bone mass, which is known as osteopenia/osteoporosis. Sarcopenia and osteoporosis increase the risk of suffering falls and fractures, respectively. In fact, the simultaneous occurrence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia has been observed in a subset of frailer individuals at higher risk of disability, falls and fractures. However, the particular clinical outcomes that are unique to the sarco-osteoporotic patients remain unknown. In this review, we propose a common mechanism of sarco-osteoporosis and summarize those clinical and biochemical features that are prevalent in sarco-osteoporotic subjects. We expect that by describing a set of biological, clinical and functional characteristics that are associated with sarco-osteoporosis, this information could be used to inform the design of future trials and to develop interventions for this particular syndrome.