Retrospective Study of the Effects of Zoledronic Acid on Muscle Mass in Osteoporosis Patients

Abstract

Purpose

Several osteoporosis drugs can continuously improve bone mass, but the impact on muscle mass is still unknown. This study aims to investigate how zoledronic acid monotherapy affected muscle mass in osteoporosis patients.

Patients and Methods

Patients from an osteoporosis database were divided into two groups in this retrospective cohort, case–control study: zoledronic acid-treated patients (n = 113) and a control group without osteoporosis treatment (n = 118). At four years, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) were calculated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The differences in muscle mass between the groups were compared.

Results

At baseline, there was no difference in sex, ASM, ASMI, and bone mineral density between the zoledronic acid treatment group and the control group. The treatment group’s skeletal muscle mass increased by 841 g in ASM and 0.35 kg/m² in ASMI after three years, while decreased in the control group.

Conclusion

This study for the first time demonstrated that that zoledronic acid is beneficial not only to the bone but also to muscle.

Keywords:

• muscle mass
• osteoporosis
• sarcopenia
• zoledronic acid

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the efforts of the Department of Information Management of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital at Yilan for collecting clinical data and providing administrative supports.

Author Contributions

The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design: Tso-Yen Mao, Chun-Feng Huang; data collection: Chun-Feng Huang; analysis and interpretation of results: Tso-Yen Mao, Ming-Shi Shiao, Chun-Feng Huang; draft manuscript preparation: Chun-Feng Huang. All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.