BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN AMBULANT, NONSTEROID TREATED FEMALE-PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Bone mass measurements were performed in a group of 30 ambulant, non-s teroid treated female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of relat ively short duration (mean 4.9 years). The bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and femoral neck was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and related to parameters of disease activity and severity. Lumbar BMD was within the range of normal while femoral BMD was decreased compared to age-matched controls. BMD values, expres sed as the percentage of age-matched healthy controls (BMD%), were pos itively related to the body mass index and negatively related to the n umber of swollen joints, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the pl atelet count. No relation was found between the lumbar and femoral bon e mass on the one hand and disease duration, number of disease modifyi ng anti-rheumatic drugs ever used, Ritchie articular index, C-reactive protein, functional ability or radiological scores on the other. It i s concluded that in ambulant non-steroid treated female RA patients lu mbar bone mass as measured with DEXA is within the range of normal, wh ile femoral bone mass is slightly reduced Both lumbar and femoral bone mass are related to the body mass index and parameters of disease act ivity.