Objective To investigate the changes of bone mineral density and bone metabolism indexes in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with sarcopenia. Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical parameters and bone mineral density was performed in 165 patients with RA and 100 normal cases in control group from January 2017 to June 2020. Bone mineral density (BMD) and skeletal muscle mass were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was calculated. BMD and SMI were compared between the two groups. RA patients were divided into two groups with and without sarcopenia according to the SMI level. The differences in BND, bone metabolism indexes, and clinical data between the two groups were compared. The independent factors affecting the risk of sarcopenia in RA patients were investigated with logistic regression analysis. Results ①The levels of BMD and SMI in RA group were lower than those in control group (P < 0.001). Osteoporosis occurred in 97 patients in RA group (58.8%), which was 1.83 times more than that in control group (32%, χ2 =17.885, P < 0.001). The incidence of sarcopenia in RA group was 47.3% (78 cases), which was 3.94 times more than that in control group (12%, χ2 =34.580, P < 0.001). ②BMD and 25-(OH)D levels in RA patients with sarcopenia were lower than those in the non-sarcopenia group, while age, course of disease, erythrocytic sedimentation rate, and DAS28 score were higher, and the difference was statistically significant. ③The incidence of osteoporosis in RA patients with sarcopenia group was 75.6%, which was significantly higher than that in the non-sarcopenia group (43.7%). ④Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, course of disease, and DAS28 score were risk factors for osteoporosis in RA patients with sarcopenia (P<0.05), while BMI and 25-(OH)D were protective factors (P<0.05). Conclusion The risk of osteoporosis in elderly RA patients with sarcopenia increases significantly, which is affected by age, disease course, disease activity, BMI, and 25-(OH)D level. |