Bone mineral density and vertebral fractures and their relationship with pulmonary dysfunction in patients with...

To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and morphometric vertebral fractures (MVF) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in comparison with two control groups. BMD was lower in the disease group (DG) and was associated with the worst disease severity and prognosis. The prevalence of MVF was high and greater in the DG than in the control groups.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with osteoporosis and vertebral fractures. It is still unclear whether the presence of fractures and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) are associated with disease severity and prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate BMD and morphometric vertebral fractures (MVF) in COPD patients in comparison with two control groups and to correlate these parameters with indices of COPD severity (VEF1 and GOLD) and prognosis (BODE).

This was a cross-sectional study in COPD patients (disease group, DG) who underwent BMD and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA). Two control groups were used: smokers without COPD (smoker group, SG) and healthy never-smoker individuals (never-smoker group, NSG).

The DG comprised 121 patients (65 women, mean age 67.9 ± 8.6 years). Altered BMD was observed in 88.4% of the patients in the DG, which was more prevalent when compared with the control groups (p < 0.001). The BMD values were lower in the DG than in the control groups (p < 0.05). BMD was associated with the worst disease severity and prognosis (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MVF was high (57.8%) and greater than that in the SG (23.8%) and the NSG (14.8%; p < 0.001). The prevalence of fractures was not associated with disease severity and prognosis.

COPD patients have a higher prevalence of MVF and low BMD, and the latter was associated with the severity and poor prognosis of the disease.