Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are two chronic conditions, which widely affect older people
and share common risk factors. We investigated the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD)
and sarcopenia, including the overlap of both conditions (osteosarcopenia) in 572 older hospitalized
patients (mean age 75.1 ± 10.8 years, 78% women) with known or suspected osteoporosis in this
prospective observational multicenter study. Sarcopenia was assessed according to the revised defini tion of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2). Low BMD was
defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations as a T-score < −1.0.
Osteosarcopenia was diagnosed when both low BMD and sarcopenia were present. Low BMD was
prevalent in 76% and the prevalence of sarcopenia was 9%, with 90% of the sarcopenic patients
showing the overlap of osteosarcopenia (8% of the entire population). Conversely, only few patients
with low BMD demonstrated sarcopenia (11%). Osteosarcopenic patients were older and frailer
and had lower BMI, fat, and muscle mass, handgrip strength, and T-score compared to nonosteosar copenic patients. We conclude that osteosarcopenia is extremely common in sarcopenic subjects.
Considering the increased risk of falls in patients with sarcopenia, they should always be evaluated
for osteoporosis