Skeletal muscle index together with body mass index is associated with secondary osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to explore the associations of body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), skeletal mass index (SMI) and secondary osteoporosis (OP) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The bone mineral density (BMD) at sites of the femur neck (Neck), total hip (Hip) and lumbar vertebrae 1–4 (L1-4) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The skeletal muscle index, body fat percentage and mineral content were measured by biological electrical impedance for calculating BMI, FMI and SMI. Results A total of 433 patient with RA and 158 healthy controls were enrolled. The BMDs at each site of the RA patients were lower compared with those of the healthy controls (p