Secondary outcomes
Bone mineral density (BMD) is measured using DXA. Fixed professionals are responsible for the verification and measurement of the machine, and the inspection parts mainly include lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) and bilateral hips.
Laboratory tests (blood serum) are measured with Luminex Assay. With reference to the Recommended Experiments for Biochemical Indicators of Bone Metabolism (2020 Expert Consensus, China) [
20], the preliminary research results, and the literature survey, The serological indicators include Type I Procollagen N-terminal Propeptide (P1NP), β-collagen Degradation Product (β-CTX), Myostatin (MSTN), Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF-23), and Neuropeptide Y (NPY). Qualified researchers will draw 5 ml of venous blood from the participants in the morning on an empty stomach, and complete the aliquots within 30 min.
Fall risk is measured with the timed “up and go” (TUG) test and morse fall scale (MFS). Research assistants need to record the time, the participant's gait, and the falling risk according to the following criteria: 1 point is normal, 2 points are very slightly abnormal, 3 points are mildly abnormal, 4 points are moderate abnormality, 5 points are severe abnormality. The MFS was developed by Professor Janice Morse in 1989. The content of the scale evaluation involves the history of falls in the past 3 months, gait, cognition, etc. The total score is 125 points, and the higher the score, the greater the risk of falling. A score greater than 45 is considered high risk of falling, 25 to 45 is considered medium risk, and less than 25 is considered low risk.
Lower extremity muscle strength is measured with five-times sit-to-stand test (FTSST). The assistants need to record the total time spent. At last, the test was performed 3 times and the final average was taken.