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Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have lower bone mineral density and greater rates of osteoporosis than healthy controls, according to study results presented at the 2017 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting, May 24-27 in New Orleans.
In order to better understand the prevalence of low bone mineral density and osteoporosis in MS and examine whether MS is an independent predictor of low bone mineral density and osteoporosis, a team of investigators led by Etienne J. Bisson, PhD, of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, conducted a population-based study using data from the Manitoba Population Health Research Data Repository.
The investigators identified 783 patients with MS who had a bone mineral density screening. Each MS case was matched with 5 non-MS controls (n=3915) with a bone mineral density screening by age, sex, and first screening date. The 2 groups were compared for femoral neck bone mineral density and likelihood of osteoporosis (T-score ≤-2.5).
Regression models showed that MS had an independent association with femoral neck bone mineral density (β estimates: –0.24; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.17; P <.01), with the average T-score at the femoral neck in patients with MS at -1.48 ± 1.08 vs -1.12 ± 0.98 in controls. MS was also found to be independently associated with osteoporosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.41; 95% CI, 1.82-3.19; P <.01), with an unadjusted prevalence of osteoporosis in MS of 17% vs 6.5% in controls.
Other factors significantly associated with osteoporosis were age, sex, body mass index, disability, chronic antispasmodic use, and chronic lung disease. Notably, prior fracture (P =.02) was significantly associated with osteoporosis in people with MS (aOR 2.70; 95% CI, 1.28-5.70; P <.01) but not in controls (aOR 1.07; 95% CI, 0.62- 1.85; ns).
Overall, the findings suggest that MS may be a secondary cause of osteoporosis.
Reference
- Bisson, EJ, Finlayson M, Ekuma O, Leslie WD, Marrie RA. Factors associated with osteoporosis in people with multiple sclerosis undergoing bone density screening. Presented at: 2017 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting. May 24-27, 2017; New Orleans, LA. Abstract EG07.
This article originally appeared on Neurology Advisor
