Musculoskeletal health and fatigue — ASN Events
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Musculoskeletal health and fatigue (#211)

Monica C Tembo 1 , Kara L Holloway 1 , Lana J Williams 1 , Sophia Sui 1 , Sharon L Brennan-Olsen 2 3 , Mark A Kotowicz 1 4 5 , Julie A. Pasco 1 4 5
  1. Deakin University, Geelong, VICTORIA, Australia
  2. Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), The University of Melbourne, St Albans, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. Institute of Health and Ageing , Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  4. Melbourne Medical School- Western Campus, The University of Melbourne,St Albans, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  5. Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Introduction

Fatigue/exhaustion is a key factor in defining frailty using the Fried index. Sarcopenia is recognised as an underlying contributor to frailty; however, the role for musculoskeletal deficits in frailty is unclear. We aimed to investigate associations between indicators of musculoskeletal health and fatigue as part of a broader investigation into musculoskeletal health and frailty.

Method

This cross-sectional analysis included 221 women aged 65+ years enrolled in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Body composition was quantified using DXA (Lunar). Muscle function was assessed using the 3-metre timed up and go (TUG) test and lean muscle mass was measured as relative appendicular lean mass (rALM, kg/m2). Sarcopenia was identified on the basis of both low muscle performance (TUG>10s) and low rALM (<6.07 kg/m2). Areal bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the femoral neck. Fatigue was documented by self-report. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate associations between fatigue, TUG>10s, low rALM and BMD. Regression models were adjusted for age.

Results

There were 91(41.2%) women who reported fatigue and these women were more likely to have TUG> -10s (adjusted OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.20, 3.98; p=0.01) and tended to have low rALM (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.74, 2.44, p= 0.33); no association was detected for BMD. Women with sarcopenia were twice as likely to report fatigue (adjusted OR 2.39, 95% CI 0.96, 5.97: p=0.06) and BMD did not affect this association.

Conclusion

These results suggest that sarcopenic women are more likely to report fatigue: this association appears to be driven by poor muscle function rather than low muscle mass. Bone deficits do not appear to contribute to the association between poor muscle health and fatigue.