Skip to main content
PMC home page
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases logoLink to Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
. 1986 Oct;45(10):852–857. doi: 10.1136/ard.45.10.852

Vertebral and peripheral bone mineral content and fracture incidence in postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis: effect of low dose corticosteroids.

A Verstraeten, J Dequeker
PMCID: PMC1002008  PMID: 3789820

Abstract

Peripheral and axial bone mass and fracture incidence were studied in a group of 104 postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients were divided into non-corticosteroid and low dose corticosteroid treated groups after elimination of patients with concomitant disease or therapy which might affect bone mass. Results were compared with those obtained in controls matched for age and sex. Bone mass at the distal radius was significantly reduced compared with that of controls in both patient groups. Axial bone mass, however, was normal in both treatment groups, non-corticosteroid treated patients having even a significantly higher bone mass than controls (p less than 0.05) and corticosteroid treated patients (p less than 0.05). Fracture incidence (vertebral and femoral neck) was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher in corticosteroid treated patients than in the non-corticosteroid treated group. The mean lumbar bone mineral content and the body weight of the fracture group were significantly lower than in the controls. There were no significant differences in biochemical markers of bone turnover between the RA groups.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Als O. S., Christiansen C., Hellesen C. Prevalence of decreased bone mass in rheumatoid arthritis. Relation to anti-inflammatory treatment. Clin Rheumatol. 1984 Jun;3(2):201–208. doi: 10.1007/BF02030755. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baylink D. J. Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. N Engl J Med. 1983 Aug 4;309(5):306–308. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198308043090509. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bjelle A. O., Nilsson B. E. Osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis. Calcif Tissue Res. 1970;5(4):327–332. doi: 10.1007/BF02017562. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bjelle A. O., Nilsson B. E. The relationship between radiologic changes and osteoporosis of the hand in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1971 Sep-Oct;14(5):646–649. doi: 10.1002/art.1780140512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CAMERON J. R., SORENSON J. MEASUREMENT OF BONE MINERAL IN VIVO: AN IMPROVED METHOD. Science. 1963 Oct 11;142(3589):230–232. doi: 10.1126/science.142.3589.230. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dequeker J., Goris P., Uytterhoeven R. Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (osteoarthrosis). Anthropometric distinctions. JAMA. 1983 Mar 18;249(11):1448–1451. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Duncan H. Osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis and corticosteroid induced osteoporosis. Orthop Clin North Am. 1972 Nov;3(3):571–583. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Frumar A. M., Meldrum D. R., Geola F., Shamonki I. M., Tataryn I. V., Deftos L. J., Judd H. L. Relationship of fasting urinary calcium to circulating estrogen and body weight in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1980 Jan;50(1):70–75. doi: 10.1210/jcem-50-1-70. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fucik R. F., Kukreja S. C., Hargis G. K., Bowser E. N., Henderson W. J., Williams G. A. Effect of glucocorticoids on function of the parathyroid glands in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1975 Jan;40(1):152–155. doi: 10.1210/jcem-40-1-152. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hahn T. J., Halstead L. R., Baran D. T. Effects off short term glucocorticoid administration on intestinal calcium absorption and circulating vitamin D metabolite concentrations in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1981 Jan;52(1):111–115. doi: 10.1210/jcem-52-1-111. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hajiroussou V. J., Webley M. Prolonged low-dose corticosteroid therapy and osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1984 Feb;43(1):24–27. doi: 10.1136/ard.43.1.24. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Harris E. D., Jr, Emkey R. D., Nichols J. E., Newberg A. Low dose prednisone therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind study. J Rheumatol. 1983 Oct;10(5):713–721. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Helfgott S., Rosenthall L., Esdaile J., Tannenbaum H. Generalized skeletal response to 99mtechnetium methylene diphosphonate in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1982 Nov-Dec;9(6):939–941. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kennedy A. C., Smith D. A., Anton H. C., Buchanan W. W. Generalised and localised bone loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol. 1975;4(4):209–215. doi: 10.3109/03009747509165258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kennedy A. C., Smith D. A., Buchanan W. W., Anderson J. B., Jasani M. K. Bone loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol. 1975;4(2):73–79. doi: 10.3109/03009747509095618. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Krølner B., Pors Nielsen S. Measurement of bone mineral content (BMC) of the lumbar spine, I. Theory and application of a new two-dimensional dual-photon attenuation method. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1980;40(7):653–663. doi: 10.1080/00365518009091978. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mundy G. R. Monocyte-macrophage system and bone resorption. Lab Invest. 1983 Aug;49(2):119–121. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rajapakse C., Thompson R., Grennan D. M., Winston B. M., Patel P., Nuttall P. M., Murphy J., Weiss J. B. Increased bone metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis as measured by the whole-body retention of 99Tcm methylene diphosphonate. Ann Rheum Dis. 1983 Apr;42(2):138–141. doi: 10.1136/ard.42.2.138. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Reid D. M., Kennedy N. S., Smith M. A., Tothill P., Nuki G. Total body calcium in rheumatoid arthritis: effects of disease activity and corticosteroid treatment. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Jul 31;285(6338):330–332. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6338.330. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rosenspire K. C., Kennedy A. C., Steinbach J., Blau M., Green F. A. Investigation of the metabolic acitivity of bone in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1980 Jul-Aug;7(4):469–473. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Saville P. D., Kharmosh O. Osteoporosis of rheumatoid arthritis: influence of age, sex and corticosteroids. Arthritis Rheum. 1967 Oct;10(5):423–430. doi: 10.1002/art.1780100504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Virtama P., Helelä T., Kalliomäki J. L. Osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis. A follow-up study. Acta Rheumatol Scand. 1968;14(4):276–284. doi: 10.3109/rhe1.1968.14.issue-1-4.30. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES