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The Relationship between Arthritis and Low Bone Mineral Density

Osteoporosis is a disease of low bone mineral density (BMD). People with osteoarthritis (OA) tend to have high BMD. That means people with OA don't usually have osteoporosis--or so doctors have thought.

These authors looked at BMD, vitamin D and calcium levels, and health habits of 68 women. All the women were past menopause. All were getting hip replacement surgery because of severe OA. This means none of the women should have had osteoporosis, right? Wrong. Results showed that 25 percent of the women had both OA of the hip and osteoporosis. Apparently, the old theory is a myth.

The results also showed that 22 percent of all the women (both with and without osteoporosis) had too little vitamin D. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be found in some foods, including eggs. Vitamin D deficiencies did not seem to be related to osteoporosis, however.

The main message of this research is that doctors need to be aware that OA doesn't protect women against osteoporosis. It is possible to for patients to have both conditions at the same time.

References: Julie Glowacki, PhD, et al. Osteoporosis and Vitamin-D Deficiency among Postmenopausal Women with Osteoarthritis Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty. In The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. December 2003. Vol. 85-A. No. 12. Pp. 2371-2377.

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