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Managing osteoporosis in ulcerative colitis: something new?

World journal of gastroenterology
January 1, 1970
Luca Petruccio Piodi et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Extracted Claims (16)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
oral or parenteral vitamin D supplementation
decrease
vitamin D deficiency
ulcerative colitis patients
-
has to be treated
#1
adequate dietary calcium intake or supplementation
neutral
-
ulcerative colitis patients
-
should be guaranteed
#2
physical activity
neutral
-
ulcerative colitis patients
-
should be guaranteed
#3
smoking and excessive alcohol intake
decrease
osteoporotic risk factors
ulcerative colitis patients
-
must be avoided
#4
steroid
decrease
-
ulcerative colitis patients
-
has to be prescribed at the lowest possible dosage and for the shortest possible time
#5
conditions favoring falling
decrease
falling risk
ulcerative colitis patients
-
have to been minimized
#6
fracture assessment risk tool (FRAX(®) tool)
neutral
fracture risk
the population aged from 40 to 90 years in many countries of the world
-
calculates the ten years risk of fracture
#7
pharmacological treatment for osteoporosis
decrease
fragility fractures
UC patients who already present fragility fractures
-
to be considered
#8
pharmacological treatment for osteoporosis
decrease
fracture risk
patients with a high risk of fracture
-
has also to be considered
#9
bisphosphonates
neutral
osteoporosis treatment
patients with osteoporosis
-
the most studied ones, with the best and longest evidence of efficacy and safety
#10
long-term bisphosphonates use
increase
dramatic side-effects
primary osteoporosis patients
-
has been associated with an increased incidence
#11
vitamin D supplementation
decrease
primary prevention of fragility fracture
UC patients
-
best medical acts
#12
adequate calcium intake
decrease
primary prevention of fragility fracture
UC patients
-
best medical acts
#13
suitable physical activity
decrease
primary prevention of fragility fracture
UC patients
-
best medical acts
#14
removing of risk factors for osteoporosis like smoking
decrease
primary prevention of fragility fracture
UC patients
-
best medical acts
#15
avoiding falling
decrease
primary prevention of fragility fracture
UC patients
-
best medical acts
#16
Abstract

The authors revise the latest evidence in the literature regarding managing of osteoporosis in ulcerative colitis (UC), paying particular attention to the latest tendency of the research concerning the management of bone damage in the patient affected by UC. It is wise to assess vitamin D status in ulcerative colitis patients to recognize who is predisposed to low levels of vitamin D, whose deficiency has to be treated with oral or parenteral vitamin D supplementation. An adequate dietary calcium intake or supplementation and physical activity, if possible, should be guaranteed. Osteoporotic risk factors, such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake, must be avoided. Steroid has to be prescribed at the lowest possible dosage and for the shortest possible time. Moreover, conditions favoring falling have to been minimized, like carpets, low illumination, sedatives assumption, vitamin D deficiency. It is advisable to assess the fracture risk in all UC patient by the fracture assessment risk tool (FRAX(®) tool), that calculates the ten years risk of fracture for the population aged from 40 to 90 years in many countries of the world. A high risk value could indicate the necessity of treatment, whereas a low risk value suggests a follow-up only. An intermediate risk supports the decision to prescribe bone mineral density (BMD) assessment and a subsequent patient revaluation for treatment. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry bone densitometry can be used not only for BMD measurement, but also to collect data about bone quality by the means of trabecular bone score and hip structural analysis assessment. These two indices could represent a method of interesting perspectives in evaluating bone status in patients affected by diseases like UC, which may present an impairment of bone quality as well as of bone quantity. In literature there is no strong evidence for instituting pharmacological therapy of bone impairment in UC patients for clinical indications other than those that are also applied to the patients with osteoporosis. Therefore, a reasonable advice is to consider pharmacological treatment for osteoporosis in those UC patients who already present fragility fractures, which bring a high risk of subsequent fractures. Therapy has also to be considered in patients with a high risk of fracture even if it did not yet happen, and particularly when they had long periods of corticosteroid therapy or cumulative high dosages. In patients without fragility fractures or steroid treatment, a medical decision about treatment could be guided by the FRAX tool to determine the intervention threshold. Among drugs for osteoporosis treatment, the bisphosphonates are the most studied ones, with the best and longest evidence of efficacy and safety. Despite this, several questions are still open, such as the duration of treatment, the necessity to discontinue it, the indication of therapy in young patients, particularly in those without previous fractures. Further, it has to be mentioned that a long-term bisphosphonates use in primary osteoporosis has been associated with an increased incidence of dramatic side-effects, even if uncommon, like osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical sub-trochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures. UC is a long-lasting disease and the majority of patients is relatively young. In this scenario primary prevention of fragility fracture is the best cost-effective strategy. Vitamin D supplementation, adequate calcium intake, suitable physical activity (when possible), removing of risk factors for osteoporosis like smoking, and avoiding falling are the best medical acts.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Accidental FallsAdrenal Cortex HormonesBone Density Conservation AgentsColitis, UlcerativeDietary SupplementsHumansOsteoporosisOsteoporotic FracturesPredictive Value of TestsRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsRisk Reduction BehaviorTreatment OutcomeVitamin DVitamin D Deficiency
Study Links
Citation Metrics
Total Citations19
Citations/Year1.7
Relative Citation Ratio0.74
NIH Percentile39.4%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
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Managing osteoporosis in ulcerative colitis: something new? | Panacea Index