A 4-YEAR LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF BONE LOSS IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Serial measurements of spinal trabecular and radial cortical bone dens ity were made over 4 years in 70 patients with inflammatory bowel dise ase. Mean rates of bone loss for the cohort differed little from rates reported in normal populations; however, some patients showed increas ed rates of loss, including patients whose bone density at entry to th e study was already well below normal. There was a significant correla tion between the amount of corticosteroid prescribed and spinal trabec ular bone loss in males, but no significant correlation with other cli nical parameters. Increased rates of bone loss emphasise the need for bone densitometry and prophylactic measures in patients with inflammat ory bowel disease.