Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40622384›Full record

ArticleAge and ageing2025

Interactions between bone density and muscle mass in predicting all-cause mortality: a 10-year prospective cohort study of 1388 older men (aged 77-101 years).

Ben Kirk, Stephanie L Harrison, Jesse Zanker, Andrew J Burghardt, Eric Orwoll, Peggy M Cawthon, Gustavo Duque

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Age and ageing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Underexplored terrain: effects of high priority environmental toxicants on skeletal muscle.Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part B, Critical reviews · 2026
    Review
  2. Observational
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ben KirkThe University of Melbourne Melbourne Medical School, Department of Medicine-Western Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0176-776X
Stephanie L HarrisonCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Jesse ZankerThe University of Melbourne Western Clinical School at Sunshine Hospital, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Saint Albans, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3463-6827
Andrew J BurghardtCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Eric OrwollOregon Health & Science University, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Portland, OR, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8520-7355
Peggy M CawthonCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco Coordinating Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Gustavo DuqueResearch Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Bone, Muscle & Geroscience Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8126-0637

Funding

Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute - The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C)UL1TR002369 · NCATS · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI Cynthia D Morris, Christopher G. Slatore · 2017 to 2026
$78.4M
Determination of Skeletal Muscle Mass by Creatine DilutionR01AR065268 · NIAMS · CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MED CTR RES INSTITUTE · PI CAWTHON, PEGGY MANNEN · 2013 to 2016
$1.3M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002369NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR065268NIA NIH HHSNIH Roadmap for Medical ResearchThe National Institutes of Health (NIH)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow bone density and low muscle mass are both independent risk factors for mortality in older men. However, it is unknown if these tissues interact to increase mortality risk. Elucidating this information is important as bone and muscle are modifiable across the life cycle.

objectiveTo examine whether there is an interconnection between bone density and muscle mass on all-cause mortality in older men.

designProspective cohort study.

settingThe Osteoporotic Fractures in Men study, an multicenter longitudinal study across six US sites.

participantsExposures measured at baseline visit (2014-2016) included bone density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (hip, g/cm2); muscle mass by creatine dilution stable isotope (whole body, kg); bone strength by high-resolution computed tomography (tibia, newtons); and muscle volume by high-resolution computed tomography (calf, mm3). Covariates measured at baseline visit (2014-2016) included demographics and lifestyle factors as well as medical conditions.

main outcome measureAll-cause mortality by death certificates and International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision codes measured from 2014 to 2016 through August 2024. Data analysis was performed during December 2024. Cox hazards models were used to model the relationship between the exposures and outcomes, unadjusted and adjusted for covariates.

resultsA total of 1388 men with a mean age of 84.2 ± 4.1 years (77-101 years, 91.6% white) were followed for 6.58 ± 2.61 years. A total of 663 (47.8%) men died. In unadjusted analyses using continuous exposures, interaction terms were significant between bone and muscle variables for all-cause mortality (P < 0.001 to 0.039). In men with low muscle mass or low muscle volume (≤50th percentile), each SD decrease in bone density increased all-cause mortality by a respective 19% (HR = 1.19 95% CI 1.07-1.34) and 29% (HR = 1.29 95% CI 1.11-1.49) in multivariable-adjusted models. Likewise, in men with low muscle mass or low muscle volume (≤50th percentile), each SD decrease in bone strength increased all-cause mortality by a respective 19% (HR = 1.19 95% CI 1.06-1.33) and 29% (HR = 1.29 95% CI 1.12-1.48) in multivariable-adjusted models.

conclusionsWe found consistent evidence for a combined association of bone and muscle health on all-cause mortality. Randomised controlled trials are now needed to confirm if increasing or preserving bone and muscle mass in old age reduces mortality risk.

Indexed as

Bone DensityMuscle, SkeletalSarcopeniaAbsorptiometry, PhotonAgedAged, 80 and overCause of DeathHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleProspective StudiesRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsTomography, X-Ray ComputedUnited Statesbone–muscle interactionsmortalityolder peopleosteoporosissarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID40622384
PMCPMC12232431

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.