Low-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy and risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink

Incidence and risk factors of subsequent vertebral fracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation in postmenopausal women

PURPOSE

Subsequent vertebral fracture (SVF) is a severe advent event of percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA). However, the incidence and risk factors of SVF following PVA for OVCF in postmenopausal women remain unclear. This research aims to investigative the incidence and risk factors of SVF after PVA for OVCF in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Women who underwent initial PVA for OVCF between August 2019 and December 2021 were reviewed. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify possible risk factors of SVF, and independent risk factors were determined by multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 682 women after menopause were enrolled in the study. Of these women, 100 cases had an SVF after PVA, with the incidence of 14.66%. Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age (p = 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001), steroid use (p = 0.008), history of previous vertebral fracture (p < 0.001), multiple vertebral fracture (p = 0.033), postoperative wedge angle (p = 0.003), and HU value (p < 0.001) were significantly correlated with SVF following PVA. Furthermore, BMI (OR [95%CI] = 0.892 [0.825 - 0.965]; p = 0.004), steroid use (OR [95%CI] = 3.029 [1.211 - 7.574]; p = 0.018), history of previous vertebral fracture (OR [95%CI] = 1.898 [1.148 - 3.139]; p = 0.013), postoperative wedge angle (OR [95%CI] = 1.036 [1.004 - 1.070]; p = 0.028), and HU value (OR [95%CI] = 0.980 [0.971 - 0.990]; p < 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors of SVF after PVA by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of SVF following PVA for OVCF in postmenopausal women was 14.66%. BMI, steroid use, history of previous vertebral fracture, postoperative wedge angle, and HU value were independent risk factors of SVF after PVA for OVCF in postmenopausal women.

Osteoporosis and fracture risk are multifactorial in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (iRMDs) such as rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases, vasculitides and spondyloarthropathies are at a higher risk of osteoporosis and fractures than are individuals without iRMDs. Research and management recommendations for osteoporosis in iRMDs often focus on glucocorticoids as the most relevant risk factor, but they largely ignore disease-related and general risk factors. However, the aetiopathogenesis of osteoporosis in iRMDs has many facets, including the negative effects on bone health of local and systemic inflammation owing to disease activity, other iRMD-specific risk factors such as disability or malnutrition (for example, malabsorption in systemic sclerosis), and general risk factors such as older age and hormonal loss resulting from menopause. Moreover, factors that can reduce fracture risk, such as physical activity, healthy nutrition, vitamin D supplementation and adequate treatment of inflammation, are variably present in patients with iRMDs. Evidence relating to general and iRMD-specific protective and risk factors for osteoporosis indicate that the established and very often used term 'glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis' oversimplifies the complex inter-relationships encountered in patients with iRMDs. Osteoporosis in these patients should instead be described as 'multifactorial'. Consequently, a multimodal approach to the management of osteoporosis is required. This approach should include optimal control of disease activity, minimization of glucocorticoids, anti-osteoporotic drug treatment, advice on physical activity and nutrition, and prevention of falls, as well as the management of other risk and protective factors, thereby improving the bone health of these patients.

Damaged bone microarchitecture by Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) and low appendicular muscle mass: main risk factors for vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in women with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis

We ascertained the fracture risk factors stratified by vertebral and non-vertebral sites in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) females. Bone/muscle features, but not disease activity, were the main markers for fractures in this long-standing RA population: low trabecular bone score (TBS) for vertebral fracture and decreased appendicular muscle mass for non-vertebral fracture.

PURPOSE

To assess risk factors for fractures, including clinical, laboratory and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) parameters (bone mass, trabecular bone score-TBS, muscle mass) in women with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Three hundred females with RA (ACR, 2010) were studied. Clinical data were obtained by questionnaire and disease activity by composite indices (DAS28, CDAI, SDAI), C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Bone mineral density (BMD), TBS, body composition and Vertebral Fracture Assessment (VFA) were performed by DXA. Logistic regression models were constructed to identify factors independently associated with vertebral (VF) and non-vertebral fractures (NVF), separately.

RESULTS

Through rigorous eligibility criteria, a total of 265 women were yielded for final data analysis (median age, 55 [22-86] years; mean disease duration, 16.2 years). Prevalence of VF and NVF were 30.6% and 17.4%, respectively. In multivariate analyzes, TBS (OR = 1.6, 95%CI = 1.09-2.36, p = 0.017), CRP (OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.15-2.08, p = 0.004), and parathormone (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.05-1.45, p = 0.009) were risk factors for VF, whereas low appendicular muscle mass (OR = 2.71; 95%CI = 1.01-7,28; p = 0.048), body mass index (BMI) (OR = 0.90, 95%CI = 0.82-0.99; p = 0.025), ESR (OR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.01-1,38, p = 0,038) and hip BMD (OR = 1.82, 95%CI = 1.10-3.03, p = 0.02) were associated with NVF.

CONCLUSION

In women with long-term RA, markers of fractures differed between distinct skeletal sites (vertebral and non-vertebral). The magnitude of association of bone/muscle parameters with fracture (TBS for VF and appendicular muscle mass for NVF) was greater than that of the association between RA activity and fracture. TBS seems to have greater discriminative power than BMD to identify subjects with VF in long-standing RA.

Bone Loss in Inflammatory Rheumatic Musculoskeletal Disease Patients Treated With Low-Dose Glucocorticoids and Prevention by Anti-Osteoporosis Medications

OBJECTIVE

The negative effects of glucocorticoids on bone depend on dose and treatment duration. However, it is unclear whether a safe dose exists, especially for patients with inflammatory rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases (iRMDs). We undertook this study to determine the effects of glucocorticoid doses on bone health in iRMD patients.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study on women with iRMD. Bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures were assessed prospectively and compared to a matched cohort without iRMD. Kaplan-Meier curves with log rank test were made for iRMD patients (stratified for glucocorticoid use and dose) and the matched cohort. Multivariable Cox regression survival models were also employed to analyze the effect of glucocorticoids on fracture.

RESULTS

A total of 884 women with iRMD and 1,766 controls (matched for age, T score, and 10-year fracture risk) were included in the study and followed up for up to 6 years. BMD decreased significantly in all patients receiving glucocorticoids who were not receiving anti-osteoporosis treatment (-4.26% for ≥5 mg/day of prednisone equivalent, P = 0.0011; -4.23% for 2.5-5 mg/day, P = 0.0422; -2.66% for 0-2.5 mg/day, P = 0.0006). Anti-osteoporosis treatment (largely bisphosphonates) prevented bone loss only in patients receiving <5 mg/day of prednisone equivalent. Fracture incidence was higher in patients with iRMD compared to controls, but only glucocorticoid doses ≥5 mg/day were associated with significantly higher risk of fracture.

CONCLUSION

Glucocorticoid doses as low as 2.5 mg/day were associated with BMD loss in iRMD patients, but this effect was preventable. BMD loss in patients receiving ≥5 mg/day was not totally prevented by anti-osteoporosis medications currently used in clinical practice, resulting in higher risk of fracture.

Metabolic bone health considerations in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are two common systemic inflammatory conditions with a combined lifetime risk of approximately 3.5% in women and 1.5% in men. They are intimately associated with the aging process, virtually never occurring prior to 50 years of age and becoming more common over time. The reasons for this are unclear, but likely relate in part to factors related to aging of the immune system. The treatment of both GCA and PMR is traditionally based on glucocorticoids, frequently requiring a prolonged treatment course over long periods of time. Other medications are belatedly entering our treatment armamentarium, but their exact place in treatment algorithms remains to be fully defined and it is likely glucocorticoids will remain a cornerstone of our treatment in GCA and PMR for the foreseeable future. As a result, people with GCA and PMR will continue to be exposed to a significant cumulative glucocorticoid burden with all of the attendant potential adverse events, including osteoporosis. The predominantly post-menopausal female population that most commonly develops PMR and GCA is also the population that is most affected by osteoporosis. Given the risk of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and subsequent fragility fractures, a planned treatment approach from glucocorticoid initiation is needed in these conditions. For the majority of patients, this will entail ensuring sufficiency of calcium and vitamin D as well as antiresorptive treatments. In this article, we discuss considerations around optimisation of metabolic bone health in GCA and PMR.

Glucocorticoids in rheumatoid arthritis: Balancing benefits and harm by leveraging the therapeutic window of opportunity

Glucocorticoids have been available since the early 1950s and have since become an integral part of the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Due to their rapid effect, glucocorticoids have an appealing profile for treating flares or as "bridging" agents in early RA. The efficacy of glucocorticoids to treat RA has been well established, both to control disease activity and to delay the progression of joint damage. However, despite their benefits, glucocorticoids have equally well-known adverse effects. It is generally accepted that long-term use of glucocorticoids, particularly at higher doses, is not advisable, and recent guidelines for the management of RA therefore either recommend against the use of glucocorticoids or suggest using them only as bridging therapy. Perceptions on the harmful effects of glucocorticoids remain, although mainly based on observational studies. Prolonged glucocorticoid therapy at low doses is still highly prevalent in clinical practice, but recent data suggest a rather favourable risk-benefit balance for this strategy, even in senior patients. Balancing the benefits and risks of treating RA with glucocorticoids thus remains a somewhat controversial topic. This narrative review outlines the historical and current position of glucocorticoids in the management of RA, while summarising recent evidence on their beneficial and detrimental effects. Furthermore, practical strategies for the current use and tapering of glucocorticoids in RA are formulated.

Biological Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and Osteoporotic Fracture Risk in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Danish Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

Clinical trials have shown a beneficial effect from biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) on hand or axial bone loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; however, it is unclear if this translates to a reduced fracture risk. We investigated the effect of bDMARDs on osteoporotic fracture risk compared to no biological treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

A cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged 18+ from DANBIO was linked to population-based health registries in Denmark (2006-2016). Adopting a prevalent new-user design, we matched bDMARD users to bDMARD-naïve patients using time-conditional propensity scores. The risk of incident osteoporotic fractures (including hip, vertebrae, humerus, and forearm) was estimated among the matched patients by Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Out of 24,678 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 4265 bDMARD users were matched to the same number of bDMARD-naïve patients (mean age 56.2 years, 74% female). During follow-up, 229 osteoporotic fractures occurred among bDMARD users and 205 fractures among bDMARD-naïve patients (incidence rates 12.1 and 13.0 per 1000 person-years, respectively). The use of bDMARDs was not associated with a reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.78-1.20), compared with no biological treatment. The risk estimates were similar for all osteoporotic fracture sites.

CONCLUSION

We found no independent beneficial effect from using bDMARDs on reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Personalized Therapeutic Strategies in the Management of Osteoporosis in Patients with Autoantibody-Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis

Bone mineral density (BMD) reduction and fragility fractures still represent a major source of morbidity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, despite adequate control of the disease. An increasing number of clinical and experimental evidence supports the role of autoantibodies, especially anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs), in causing localized and generalised bone loss in ways that are both dependent on and independent of inflammation and disease activity. The human receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B and its ligand—the so-called RANK-RANKL pathway—is known to play a key role in promoting osteoclasts’ activation and bone depletion, and RANKL levels were shown to be higher in ACPA-positive early untreated RA patients. Thus, ACPA-positivity can be considered a specific risk factor for systemic and periarticular bone loss. Through the inhibition of the RANK-RANKL system, denosumab is the only antiresorptive drug currently available that exhibits both a systemic anti-osteoporotic activity and a disease-modifying effect when combined with conventional synthetic or biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Thus, the combination of DMARD and anti-RANKL therapy could be beneficial in the prevention of fragility fractures and structural damage in the subset of RA patients at risk of radiographic progression, as in the presence of ACPAs.

The Impact of High Dose Glucocorticoids on Bone Health and Fracture Risk in Systemic Vasculitides

Systemic vasculitides are a range of conditions characterized by inflammation of blood vessels which may manifest as single organ or life-threatening multisystem disease. The treatment of systemic vasculitis varies depending on the specific disease but historically has involved initial treatment with high dose glucocorticoids alone or in conjunction with other immunosuppressive agents. Prolonged glucocorticoid treatment is frequently required as maintenance treatment. Patients with small and large vessel vasculitis are at increased risk of fracture. Osteoporosis may occur due to intrinsic factors such as chronic inflammation, impaired renal function and to a large extent due to pharmacological therapy with high dose glucocorticoid or combination treatments. This review will outline the known mechanism of bone loss in vasculitis and will summarize factors attributing to fracture risk in different types of vasculitis. Osteoporosis treatment with specific consideration for patients with vasculitis will be discussed. The use of glucocorticoid sparing immunosuppressive agents in the treatment of systemic vasculitis is a significant area of ongoing research. Adjunctive treatments are used to reduce cumulative doses of glucocorticoids and therefore may significantly decrease the associated fracture risk in patients with vasculitis. Lastly, we will highlight the many unknowns in the relation between systemic vasculitis, its treatment and bone health and will outline key research priorities for this field.

When to Start and Stop Bone-Protecting Medication for Preventing Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) leads to fractures in up to 40% of patients with chronic glucocorticoid (GC) therapy when left untreated. GCs rapidly increase fracture risk, and thus many patients with anticipated chronic GC exposures should start anti-osteoporosis pharmacotherapy to prevent fractures. In addition to low awareness of the need for anti-osteoporosis therapy among clinicians treating patients with GCs, a major barrier to prevention of fractures from GIOP is a lack of clear guideline recommendations on when to start and stop anti-osteoporosis treatment in patients with GC use. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize current evidence and provide considerations for the duration of anti-osteoporosis treatment in patients taking GCs based on pre-clinical, clinical, epidemiologic, and pharmacologic evidence. We review the pathophysiology of GIOP, outline current guideline recommendations on initiating and stopping anti-osteoporosis therapy for GIOP, and present considerations for the duration of anti-osteoporosis treatment based on existing evidence. In each section, we illustrate major points through a patient case example. Finally, we conclude with proposed areas for future research and emerging areas of interest related to GIOP clinical management.