Promoting bone health in children and adolescents following solid organ transplantation.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the role of calcium in improving bone health in children and adolescents post-solid organ transplantation.
Results Summary
The study highlights that adequate calcium intake, alongside other nutrients, is crucial for bone health in transplant recipients. It suggests that calcium supplementation, combined with vitamin D and reduced glucocorticoid use, can improve bone outcomes.
Population
Children and adolescents who have undergone solid organ transplantation.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents may adversely affect bone function, while calcium and vitamin D supplementation can mitigate these effects.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
solid organ transplantation | increase | critical organ function | children and adolescents | - | provides many benefits through improving | #1 |
solid organ transplantation | increase | growth, development, cardiovascular status, and quality of life | children and adolescents | - | improving | #2 |
solid organ transplantation | decrease | bone status | children and adolescents | - | adversely affected | #3 |
regular physical activity, good nutrition, adequate calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin D intake | increase | overall health and bone status | transplant recipients | - | benefits | #4 |
avoidance/minimization of soda, extra sodium, and obesity | increase | overall health and bone status | transplant recipients | - | benefits | #5 |
immunosuppressive agents, especially glucocorticoids | decrease | bone function and development | - | - | adversely affect | #6 |
minimizing exposure to 'bone-toxic' medications | increase | bone health | children post-transplantation | - | important part of promoting | #7 |
regular monitoring of bone status and biochemical markers | neutral | bone abnormalities | - | - | can help detect early and facilitate | #8 |
calcium and vitamin D supplementation | increase | bone outcomes | these children | - | can provide best | #9 |
tapering and withdrawing glucocorticoids as early as possible after transplant | increase | bone outcomes | these children | - | can provide best | #10 |
dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry | neutral | abnormal bone mass and fracture risk | this population | - | can be useful to detect | #11 |
bisphosphonates and the RANKL inhibitor denosumab | increase | bone health | children with low bone mass post-transplantation | - | may offer promise | #12 |
Solid organ transplantation in children and adolescents provides many benefits through improving critical organ function, including better growth, development, cardiovascular status, and quality of life. Unfortunately, bone status may be adversely affected even when overall status is improving, due to issues with pre-existing bone disease as well as medications and nutritional challenges inherent post-transplantation. For all children and adolescents, bone status entering adulthood is a critical determinant of bone health through adulthood. The overall health and bone status of transplant recipients benefits from attention to regular physical activity, good nutrition, adequate calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin D intake and avoidance/minimization of soda, extra sodium, and obesity. Many immunosuppressive agents, especially glucocorticoids, can adversely affect bone function and development. Minimizing exposure to "bone-toxic" medications is an important part of promoting bone health in children post-transplantation. Existing guidelines detail how regular monitoring of bone status and biochemical markers can help detect bone abnormalities early and facilitate valuable bone-directed interventions. Attention to calcium and vitamin D supplementation, as well as tapering and withdrawing glucocorticoids as early as possible after transplant, can provide best bone outcomes for these children. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry can be useful to detect abnormal bone mass and fracture risk in this population and newer bone assessment methods are being evaluated in children at risk for poor bone outcomes. Newer bone therapies being explored in adults with transplants, particularly bisphosphonates and the RANKL inhibitor denosumab, may offer promise for children with low bone mass post-transplantation.