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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Apr 8;26(1):342.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-025-08581-4.

Effects of exercise in older adults with osteosarcopenic adiposity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Lei Chen #  1 , Wenlu Zhou #  2 , Ju Li  1 , Taotao Xu  1 , Zhenyu Shi  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effects of exercise in older adults with osteosarcopenic adiposity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Lei Chen et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of exercise training on patients with osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA).

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on exercise treatment for OSA patients. The search included both Chinese and English literature up to April 2024. Reference lists and grey literature were also reviewed. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.

Results: A total of 7 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Exercise interventions significantly improved bone mineral density (BMD) (MD = 0.0195, 95% CI: 0 to 0.02, P = 0.03), body fat (BF) (MD = -4.0, 95% CI: -5.46 to -2.54, P < 0.01), and hand grip strength (HGS) (MD = 3.13, 95% CI: 0.72 to 5.54, P = 0.01) in patients with OSA. However, no significant differences were observed in skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) (MD = 0.12, 95% CI: -0.26 to 0.50, P = 0.55), gait speed (GS) (SMD = 0.75, 95% CI: -1.26 to 2.76, P = 0.47), or C-reactive protein (CRP) (MD = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.90 to 0.44, P = 0.50).

Conclusion: Exercise interventions can effectively improve clinical symptoms and signs in OSA patients to varying degrees, highlighting the importance of exercise in the management of OSA.

Keywords: Adiposity; Exercise; Osteoporosis; Osteosacopenia; Randomized controlled trial; Sarcopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
literature screening process
Fig. 2
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Risk of bias graph
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Risk of bias summary
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Fig. 4
The effect of exercise on Bone mineral density in OSA patients
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Fig. 5
The effect of exercise on Skeletal muscle mass index in OSA patients
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The effect of exercise on body fat in OSA patients
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Fig. 7
The effect of exercise on High-sensitivity C-reactive protein in OSA patients
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Fig. 8
The effect of exercise on Gait speed in OSA patients
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Fig. 9
The effect of exercise on Hand grip strength in OSA patients
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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