Research question:
Does combined deterioration of bone and muscle (known as osteosarcopenia) increase the risk of memory loss, dementia, and accelerated ageing compared to deterioration of bone or muscle alone?
Aims and objectives:
1. To determine whether people with both weak bones and weak muscles are more likely to experience faster decline in thinking and memory than those with only one or neither condition.
2. To explore whether genetic factors (such as APOE) or blood proteins can help explain why bone and muscle health are linked to brain health.
3. To use imaging data (brain scans, body scans) to see whether biological ageing markers are consistent with musculoskeletal decline.
Scientific rationale:
Osteoporosis (weak bones) and sarcopenia (loss of muscle strength and mass) are common in older adults and often occur together. This combined condition, osteosarcopenia, leads to falls, fractures, and loss of independence. At the same time, reduced grip strength, slower walking speed, and lower bone density have all been linked to memory problems and dementia. However, most research has looked at bone and muscle separately, not together.
The UK Biobank provides a unique opportunity to answer this question. It includes data from half a million participants, with repeated memory and reaction time tests, long-term health records, blood samples, genetic information, and imaging data. By linking bone, muscle, and brain health, this project will clarify whether osteosarcopenia contributes to cognitive decline and dementia risk, and why.