Bone mass and vitamin D in patients with systemic sclerosis from two Spanish regions
Rios-Fernández, R.; Callejas-Rubio, J.-L.; Fernández-Roldán, C.ón.; Simeón-Aznar, C.-P.; García-Hernández, F.; Castillo-García, M.ía.-J.ús.; Fonollosa Pla, V.; Barnosi Marín, A.C.; González-Gay, M.Án.; Ortego-Centeno, N.
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 30(6): 905-911
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 0392-856X PMID: 22935485 Document Number: 661565
To study the bone mass in patients with scleroderma (SSc) from two different Spanish regions and to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in this population and its possible relation to bone mineral density (BMD). Disease, bone mineral density related variables and vitamin D were collected from all patients. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 17 statistics software for Windows. A p<0.05 was considered significant. A Z-score <-1 was found in 21.9% of the control population and 43% of SSc patients. The prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis was 50% in the control population and 77% in SSc (p<0.0001). We did not find differences between the prevalence of low BMD in the south (79%) and in the north of Spain (76.3%); but patients from the north had lower levels of vitamin D (27.4±16.2 ng/dL vs. 20.7±11.0 ng/dl; p<0.031). Low levels of vitamin D (<30ng/ml) were found in 69 patients out of 90, ten of them with insufficiency (<10ng/ml). Eighty-four point six percent of the patients with low levels of vitamin D (<30ng/ml) had LBMD compared whith 66.7% of those with normal levels (p=0.073). The prevalence of osteoporosis/osteopenia in Spanish patient with SSc is very high. Although there are a high prevelence of vitamin D deficiency, we could not demonstrate a relationship of vitamin D deficiency with low mineral density.