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Increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture in women with systemic sclerosis: A comparative study with rheumatoid arthritis
Arthritis Care & Research , 07/06/2012
Avouac J et al. – The prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) and fracture in systemic sclerosis (SSc) was increased compared to healthy women and reached the high prevalence associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Age and vitamin D deficiency were identified as risk factors of fracture in SSc. Thus, increasing the awareness and performance of Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements together with vitamin D supply in patients with SSc is warranted.
Methods- Cross–sectional study with successive inclusion of age–matched healthy, SSc, and RA women.
- Risk factors for OP and fracture were collected for all patients.
- Bone mineral density (BMD) was systematically measured at lumbar spine and total hip region with DXA.
- The authors included 71 SSc, 139 RA and 227 healthy women.
- The prevalence of OP and fracture was similar in SSc and RA, and was for both higher than in healthy controls (OP: 30% in SSc, 32% in RA and 11% in controls; fracture: 35% in SSc, 33% in RA and 10% in controls).
- Multivariate analysis identified age as a risk factor of OP in SSc.
- Age and low 25(OH)D levels were recognized as risk factors of fracture in SSc.
- In comparison, age and corticosteroid treatment were associated with OP in RA.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed age, OP and low 25(OH)D levels as independent risk factors of fractures in RA.
