[Bone metabolism changes in 100 patients with inflammatory bowel disease]

To evaluate the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to study the factors involved in their pathogenesis.

One hundred consecutive patients with IBD (57 women, mean age 41 years) were included in this study. Data were collected about their life habits, disease characteristics of medication use (mainly corticosteroids). Bone turnover markers were analyzed and the presence of osteoporosis or osteopenia was assessed with total hip and lumbar spine bone densitometry (DXA).

Osteopenia percentages ranged from 37% (t-score measured by lumbar spine DXA) to 39% (hip DXA t-score). The prevalence of osteoporosis ranged from 2% (t-score measured by hip DXA) to 15% (lumbar spine DXA t-score). In the multivariate analysis, diagnosis of Crohn's disease (vs. ulcerative colitis; odds ratio 2.9, 95% CI 1-8.7) and the number of flares controlled by the cumulative dose of steroids (number of flares ≥ 3: odds ratio 8.7; 95%CI 1.6-45) were associated with a higher risk of osteopenia/osteoporosis. None of the analytical parameters significantly correlated with bone mineral density values.

The prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis is higher in patients with IBD (mainly those with Crohn's disease) than in the general population. Changes in bone metabolism seem to be more closely related to the inflammatory activity of IBD than to the steroid dose per se. Bone turnover markers did not correlate with the presence of osteopenia and osteoporosis.