High Osteoporosis-Related Fracture Risk found in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Notably, the increased risk was not uniform across all RA patients. Those with early RA, defined as less than one year of disease duration, did not exhibit a statistically significant increase in fracture risk during the first ten years of their condition. This finding underscores the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment in managing the complications associated with RA.

The study also delved into potential predictors of fractures within the RA patient group. Factors such as advanced age, longer RA duration, higher Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores, and greater scores on the visual analogue scale for global health emerged as significant predictors of fractures. These findings emphasize the need for personalized care plans that consider both RA management and osteoporosis risk mitigation for individuals with these risk factors.

By identifying key predictors, this research equips healthcare professionals with valuable insights to enhance the well-being of RA patients and reduce the burden of osteoporosis-related fractures in this population.

Reference: 

Theander, L., Jacobsson, L. T. H., & Turesson, C. (2023). Osteoporosis-related fractures in men and women with established and early rheumatoid arthritis: predictors and risk compared with the general population. In BMC Rheumatology (Vol. 7, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41927-023-00354-7