Objectives: To study the relationship of indicators of muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle function with bone mineral density (BMD) in men with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: 79 men aged over 50 years with verified CHD were examined (mean age 63 (57; 66) years).

The BMD (g/cm ² ) and T-criterion (standard deviation) of the femoral neck and lumbar spine (L1-L4) were evaluated using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) on the lunar Prodigy Primo bone densitometer (USA).

To assess muscle mass, the total area (cm ² ) of the lumbar muscles of the axial section at the level of the 3rd lumbar vertebra (L3) was determined using multispiral computed tomography on a 64-slice computer tomograph “Somatom Sensation 64” (Siemens AG Medical Solution, Germany). The ratio of the obtained index of the area of skeletal muscle to the square of the patient’s growth index determined the “musculoskeletal index L3” (SMI). The media considered the threshold value to be 52.4 cm ² /m ² . Evaluation of muscle strength was performed using a mechanical wrist dynamometer DC-25. Muscle function was examined using a short physical performance battery (SPPB).

Results: The data obtained from the results of correlation analysis show that there is a reliable direct correlation between BMD and hand dynamometry indicators (r=0.250; p=0.026 for the right hand and r=0.247; p=0.028 for the left hand), the T-criterion of the femoral neck and hand dynamometry indicators (r=0.245; p=0.030 for the right hand and r=0.242; p=0.032 for the left hand). A similar relationship was established between the BMD of the lumbar vertebra and the parameters of dynamometry (r=0.237; p=0.036 for the right hand and r=0.228; p=0.043 for the left hand) and T-criterion for the lumbar region and dynamometry parameters (r=0.232; p=0.039 for the right hand and r=0.220; p=0.051 for the left hand). There is no significant relationship between densitometry scores and the result of SPPB tests.

There was a significant direct relationship between the total SPPB score and the area of skeletal muscle at the L3 level (r=0.249, p=0.026), the total SPPB score and the musculoskeletal index (r=0.233, p=0.039). A similar relationship was established between the result of the chair lift test and the total area of skeletal muscle at the L3 level (r=0.262, p=0.019) and the musculoskeletal index (r=0.220, p=0.050).

A significant negative relationship between walking speed and the musculoskeletal index was found (r= -0.260, p=0.021). The relationship between muscle mass and strength could not be traced.

Conclusion: A decrease in muscle strength correlates with the severity of bone loss, while a decrease in muscle function correlates with a decrease in muscle mass. The results obtained confirm the probability of common mechanisms in the development of sarcopenia and osteoporosis in patients with CHD.

Disclosure of Interests: None declared