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Objectives: Osteoporosis is one of the complications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid cachexia, the loss of lean body mass, is another. However, the relationship between decreased lean body mass and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with RA has not been well studied., Methods: This study included 413 participants, comprising 208 patients with RA and 205 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Clinical data, BMD, bone metabolic markers (BMM) and body composition, such as lean body mass and percent fat, were collected. Risk factors for osteoporosis in patients with RA including the relationship BMD and body composition were analyzed., Results: Patients with RA showed low BMD and high BMM compared with controls. Moreover, lean body mass was lower and percent fat was higher in patients with RA. Lean body mass correlated positively and percent fat negatively with BMD. Lean body mass was a positive and disease duration was a negative independent factor for BMD in multivariate statistical analysis., Conclusion: BMD and lean body mass were significantly lower in patients with RA compared to healthy controls. Lean body mass correlated positively with BMD and decreased lean body mass and disease duration affected low BMD in patients with RA., Trial Registration: [UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ , UMIN000003876].

Although patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are prone to osteoporosis, tight control of disease activity might have a positive effect on bone metabolism. We aimed to determine whether bisphosphonate use is still important to improve bone mineral density (BMD) in RA patients whose disease activity was tightly controlled and the dose of glucocorticoid was reduced. This study was a sub-analysis of the 10-year prospective cohort TOtal Management Of Risk factors in Rheumatoid arthritis patients to lOWer morbidity and mortality: the TOMORROW which started from 2010. We compared BMD between 192 patients with RA and age- and sex-matched volunteers between 2010 and 2013 using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in whole body mode. We then determined ratios of changes in BMD (%ΔBMD) to assess factors influencing increases in BMD among the patients using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The BMD was significantly lower in the patients than in the controls at all sites surveyed during 2010 and 2013. The %ΔBMD of the total spine was significantly higher among the patients treated with, than without bisphosphonate (6.2 vs. 1.8%, P = 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that use of bisphosphonate was a significant factor contributing to BMD increase (odds ratio 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.38, P = 0.041). Meanwhile, use of biologic agents, reducing glucocorticoid dose, and control of disease activity were not significant factors for gain of BMD. The BMD was lower among patients with RA than non-RA controls. Use of bisphosphonate significantly increased the BMD of the spine in patients over a period of 3 years and was important for maintaining the BMD among patients with RA under the control of inflammation and disease activity.

Objectives: Osteoporosis is one of the complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we researched the morbidity of existing vertebral fractures and the risk factors for vertebral fractures in patients with RA., Methods: This study included 413 participants, 208 patients with RA, and 205 age- and sex-matched controls without RA. Clinical data, radiographic assessment of vertebral fracture from T4 to L4 in thoracic and lumber spine, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone metabolic markers (BMM) were analyzed., Results: Vertebral fractures were observed more frequently, severe and multiple in patients with RA. In the logistic regression analysis, age (adjusted odds ratios (OR): 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.09) and RA (adjusted OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.04-2.83) were risk factors for existing vertebral fracture. Moreover, two bone matrix-related markers, undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) (adjusted OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.02-2.78), and urinary pentocidine (adjusted OR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.48-4.24) were associated with existing vertebral fracture., Conclusions: High frequent, multiple, and severe vertebral fractures were found in patients with RA compared to the controls. Low bone quality might be the cause of the frequent prevalence of vertebral fracture in patients with RA.