No permanent reduction in bone mineral density during treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis using low dose corticosteroids - A cross sectional study

The objective of the study was to examine bone mineral density (BMD) in pat ients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) or temporal arteritis (TA) currentl y or previously treated with prednisolone. BMD (using single or dual x-ray absorptiometry) was measured in radius, spi nel and hip in 26 currently and 28 previously prednisolone treated patients with PMR (n = 38) or TA (n = 16). The prednisolone treated patients were c ompared to 30 newly diagnosed PMR (n = 26) or TA patients (n=4 examined pri or to start of prednisolone, and 70 healthy controls. No statistically sign ificant differences were found between the groups regarding age, height, we ight, and gender. For current users of prednisolone, the mean daily dose wa s 6.5 mg, the mean cumulative dose 7.7 grams, and for previous users 5.6 mg and 6.6 grams, respectively. No statistically significant differences in BMD at the different measuremen t sites were found between prednisolone treated patients and the two contro l groups. Similarly, no significant differences in BMD were found between c urrent and previous users of prednisolone and between the prednisolone trea ted PMR and TA patients. In conclusion. BMD is not substantially reduced in PMR and TA patients currently or previously treated with mean low dose pre dnisolone. However, a tendency to a lower BMD was found in PMR/TA patients currently treated with prednisolone and in the prednisolone treated TA pati ents.