High Osteoporosis-Related Fracture Risk found in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

In a recent study published in BMC Rheumatology uncovered a heightened risk of osteoporosis-related fractures among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), shedding light on the significance of early diagnosis and management. The study, which spanned over two decades and involved nearly 2,000 RA patients, compared fracture rates between this group and the general population, revealing crucial insights into potential risk factors for these fractures.

The study encompassed 1,928 patients with RA and compared them to a control group drawn from the general population. Data regarding osteoporosis-related fractures, including those in the hip, proximal upper arm, distal forearm, and vertebrae, were collected from July 1, 1997, to December 31, 2017, using national health registers.

The overall incidence of osteoporosis-related fractures among the RA cohort was 10.6 per 1,000 person-years, highlighting a substantial risk within this population. Both male and female RA patients faced an elevated risk of fractures compared to their counterparts without RA. Specifically, men with RA had a 55% higher risk, while women exhibited a 52% higher risk of fractures.

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