Association Between Muscle Status and Bone Size, Density, and Strength in Type 1 Diabetes: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE

Muscle mass and function are impaired in type 1 diabetes (T1D); however, the relevance to bone health is unknown. This study aimed to examine the relationship between muscle mass, muscle strength, and bone in adults with childhood onset of T1D.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study population includes 111 Danish men and women with T1D onset before age 18 years and 37 sex- and age-matched controls. Lean mass was assessed through dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and hand grip strength was measured using a dynamometer. Bone mineral density (BMD), bone size, and bone material strength index were assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and microindentation.

RESULTS

Participants had a median age of 43.2 years and body mass index of 26.9 kg/m2, with no differences between groups. Total and appendicular lean mass were comparable in persons with and without T1D (P = .41 and P = .75), as was grip strength (P = .52). BMD, bone size (cortical area and perimeter), and bone material strength index did not differ between groups (P > .05). Within the T1D group, appendicular lean mass/height2 was positively associated with femoral neck BMD (R2 = 0.12) and total hip BMD (R2 = 0.337). Similarly, grip strength was associated with femoral neck-BMD (R2 = 0.104), and total hip-BMD (R2 = 0.137). The associations between muscle indices and BMD measures did not differ significantly between groups.

CONCLUSION

We observed a strong association between muscle and bone regardless of T1D status. Overall, the associations did not differ between the T1D and control groups, suggesting that the muscle-bone crosstalk is not affected by T1D.