Muscle Performance as a Predictor of Bone Health: Among Community-Dwelling Postmenopausal Japanese Women from Setagaya-Aoba Study

Calcif Tissue Int. 2024 Oct;115(4):413-420. doi: 10.1007/s00223-024-01269-2. Epub 2024 Aug 6.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a significant health concern for postmenopausal women, necessitating efficient screening methods for bone health. This study explores the potential of muscle function, assessed through the 30-s chair stand test (CS-30), as an indicator for low bone stiffness in this demographic, aiming to establish a practical threshold for large-scale fitness surveillance without the need for specialized tools. We analyzed data from 1055 community-dwelling postmenopausal Japanese women, aged 41-89 years, collected between 2016 and 2019. Participants underwent CS-30 to evaluate muscle function alongside quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurements to assess bone stiffness. The cohort was divided into two groups for the development and validation of a cutoff point for low bone stiffness, defined as a QUS speed of sound less than 1487.3 m/s. The CS-30 cutoff was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and validated through logistic regression, accounting for age, body mass index, and smoking status. Among 577 postmenopausal women, 16.0% exhibited low bone stiffness. In the development group (n = 382), ROC analysis identified a CS-30 cutoff of 25 repetitions for detecting low bone stiffness, with an area under the curve of 0.744 (P < 0.001). In the validation group (n = 195), participants performing ≥ 25 repetitions had a higher risk of low bone stiffness compared to those performing ≤ 24 repetitions. The CS-30 test is an effective preliminary screening tool for identifying postmenopausal women at risk of low bone stiffness, with a threshold of 25 repetitions. This method could facilitate early detection of individuals at higher osteoporosis risk, promoting timely intervention.

Keywords: 30-s chair stand test; Bone; Muscle strength; Osteoporosis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bone Density* / physiology
  • East Asian People
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle, Skeletal* / physiology
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / diagnosis
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / epidemiology
  • Postmenopause* / physiology