POS0321 INTEGRATING SARC-F AND FRAX ASSESSMENTS MAY HELP PREDICT FRACTURE RISK IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS
Authors: A. C. Bardan-Inchaustegui, A. G. Rodriguez-Flores, G. Rodriguez-Orozco, A. Carrazco-Chapa, G. J. Cervantes-Charles, A. P. Sanchez-Fonseca, C. M. Skinner-Taylor, R. Negrete-Lopez, J. A. Cardenas-de la Garza, D. A. Galarza-Delgado
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease where inflammation and alterations in bones lead to bone erosion and probably the progression of osteoporosis. Sarcopenia is described as the decrease of muscle mass and is associated with disability, worse quality of life, and a high mortality rate. RA may have an increased risk of sarcopenia, due to many risk factors, such as chronic inflammation, physical inactivity, and glucocorticoid use, leading to low bone, fragility, and fractures. <h3>Objectives:</h3> We aimed to correlate the risk of sarcopenia with the fracture risk in RA patients with intermediate-high-risk fracture profiles. <h3>Methods:</h3> A prospective cross-sectional study included patients with RA with a high or intermediate fracture risk, as determined by the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX). Sarcopenia risk was evaluated using the SARC-F screening tool, where a score ≥4 indicates sarcopenia high risk of fracture. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine normality. Data were presented as percent frequency, mean ± standard deviation (SD), or median and interquartile range (IQR). Spearman correlation test was performed. A p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS v.25. <h3>Results:</h3> A total of 32 patients with RA were included, 30 (93.8%) were women and 2 (4.3%) were men with a mean age of 65 ± 9.81. Prednisone use in our patients was 22 (87.5%), and 6 (18.8%) of our patients have a history of previous fracture. The most prevalent body mass index (BMI) among our patients was normal in 15 (46.9%), overweight 11 (34.4%) and obesity 6 (18.8). The mean SARC-F score was 4.16 ± 2.73. Of the total evaluated patients, 18 (56.3%) were identified with a high risk of sarcopenia, 12 (37.5%) already had sarcopenia and the muscle mass mean of it was 5.92 ± 1.01. FRAX assessment showed that 17 (53.1%) patients had an intermediate fracture risk, while 15 (46.9%) had a high risk. The lumbar spine T-score mean was -1.656 ± 1.38 and the hip T s-core mean was -1.309 ± 1.273. We found a positive correlation between the risk of sarcopenia by SARC-F and the risk of major osteoporotic fracture (p=0.033, r=0.377). There was no significant correlation between SARC-F sarcopenia risk and hip fracture risk (p=0.072, r=0.322). No statistically significant correlation was found between SARC-F and spine T-score or femoral neck T-score. <b>Table 1</b> shows the correlation between SARC-F and fracture risk. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> We found that a higher sarcopenia risk was associated with an increased risk of major osteoporotic fractures. Combining SARC-F with traditional assessments, such as FRAX, can help identify high-risk patients, leading to better preventive interventions and early management. RA patients should undergo routine sarcopenia screening to prevent osteoporosis-related fractures. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>