Young Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis at More Risk for Broken Bones

	Tweet

Women under 50 with rheumatoid arthritis are at greater risk of breaking bones than women without the condition, according to a Mayo Clinic study being presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual scientific meeting in Chicago. Men with rheumatoid arthritis also are in more danger of fractures, but that risk seems to surface when they are older, researchers found.

VIDEO ALERT: Embargoed audio and video of Dr. Amin discussing the study is posted on the Mayo Clinic News Blog. The password is ACR.

Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to chronic, debilitating inflammation of the joints and other parts of the body. People over 50 with the condition are more likely to break a bone from a fall or sometimes even mild stress such as coughing. However, little has been known about the fracture risk among rheumatoid arthritis patients under 50. 

Researchers studied two groups of 1,155 adults each, all from the same community: one set with a new diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, the other without the condition. Based on gender and birth year, each person was paired with someone from the other group, and the medical records of each duo were examined over time for new fractures unrelated to cancer or severe trauma. In women and men with rheumatoid arthritis, new fractures were more likely than in their counterparts, regardless of their age when they were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Women under 50 when diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were more likely than their counterparts without the condition to have their first new fracture even before age 50. While men with rheumatoid arthritis were also more vulnerable to fractures, that danger didn’t grow until they got older.

“Understanding what contributes to the risk for fractures for all with rheumatoid arthritis, including young women, would help us better prevent them,” says lead researcher Shreyasee Amin, M.D., a rheumatologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Women under 50 with rheumatoid arthritis need to know that even though they are young, they need to take greater care to prevent fractures, she says.

Dr. Amin will discuss the study, ACR Presentation 1632, at 3:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, in room W471b at the McCormick Place Convention Center. She will be available for media questions and a briefing at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the press conference room, W175C.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life.

###

Source: Mayo Clinic

RELATED STORIES:
New hope for women with Alzheimer’s disease   Birth control shot linked to bone thinning   Don’t Let Arthritis Put the Kibosh on All Exercise (It Hurts More When You Stop)   Young Black Women Prone to Gain More Unhealthy Abdominal Fat than Hispanics   Severe lupus may respond to drug combo   More older Americans have knee pain, replacement   Sharp Drop In Stress Hormones May Set Stage For Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis After Pregnancy   Sleep pillow plus exercise best for neck pain   UC Davis scientists find link between arthritis pain reliever and cardiovascular events   Hip protectors may stop fractures, save money   Depression in arthritis patients often untreated   Ancient Chinese Exercise Relieves Knee Pain

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]