Predictive efficacy of different diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia in osteoporosis and fractures

This study aims to compare the predictive efficacy of different diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia in forecasting the occurrence of osteoporosis (OP) and fractures. Utilizing data from the Global Health Data Exchange, the burden of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) was assessed through indicators including incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years. Trends in MSD burden were analyzed using the Joinpoint regression model to calculate the average annual percentage change. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on clinical data from 8180 patients who received care at the Endocrinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University between April 2008 and June 2024. Patients were categorized into four groups based on sarcopenia diagnostic criteria established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS), the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019), and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project. We compared demographic data, chronic disease history, body composition, bone mineral density, FRAX fracture risk, and the incidence of osteoporosis to evaluate the predictive validity of each diagnostic criterion for osteoporosis and fracture risk in patients with sarcopenia. (1) The prevalence of sarcopenia, as defined by the IWGS, FNIH, EWGSOP, and AWGS 2019 diagnostic criteria, was 39.2%, 28.3%, 55.0%, and 30.1%, respectively. (2) After adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI), a significant association between osteoporosis and sarcopenia was observed across all four diagnostic criteria (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, sarcopenia, as determined by the EWGSOP and AWGS 2019 criteria, was associated with a moderate-to-high risk of major osteoporotic fractures and hip fractures within the next 10 years (P < 0.05). (3) Spearman's correlation coefficients for sarcopenia with Procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP), appendicular lean mass (ALM), ALM/height squared (Ht2), and ALM/BMI were − 0.034, − 0.308, − 0.261, and − 0.252, respectively. PINP, ALM, ALM/Ht2, and ALM/BMI were identified as significant factors influencing osteoporosis, with odds ratios of 0.996, 0.765, 0.535, and 0.010, respectively. The burden of MSDs is increasing in China and globally, driven primarily by population aging. Sarcopenia is significantly associated with osteoporosis and a moderate-to-high risk of fracture when diagnosed using the FNIH and EWGSOP criteria. PINP and ALM are protective factors against osteoporosis development in patients with sarcopenia.