Musculoskeletal decline and mortality: prospective data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study

Background We aimed to examine the relationship between musculoskeletal deterioration and all‐cause mortality in a cohort of women studied prospectively over a decade. Methods A cohort of 750 women aged 50–94 years was followed for a decade after femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) and appendicular lean mass (ALM) were measured using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry, in conjunction with comorbidities, health behaviour data, and other clinical measures. The outcome was all‐cause mortality identified from the Australian National Deaths Index. Using Cox proportional hazards models and age as the time variable, mortality risks were estimated according to BMD groups (ideal‐BMD, osteopenia, and osteoporosis) and ALM groups (T‐scores > −1.0 high, −2.0 to −1.0 medium,