Osteoporosis and sarcopenia: two diseases or one?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article reviews recently published evidence for common pathways explaining bone and muscle wasting in normal ageing and pathological conditions. RECENT FINDINGS: Numerous studies support the concept of a bone–muscle unit, where constant cross-talking between the two tissues takes place, involving molecules released by the skeletal muscle secretome, which affects bone, and osteokines secreted by the osteoblasts and osteocytes, which, in turn, impact muscle cells. SUMMARY: New chemical entities aiming at concomitantly treating osteoporosis and sarcopenia could be developed by targeting pathways that centrally regulate bone and muscle or emerging pathways that facilitate the communication between the two tissues.