title: Bone mineral content of the third lumbar vertebra during 18 months of prednisolone treatment for giant cell arteritis.
abstract: Altogether forty-four patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) were randomly allocated to either daily morning or alternate-day administration of prednisolone. The BMC of the third lumbar vertebra was determined using dual photon absorptiometry. At least ten measurements were performed in each patient during a period of 18 months. During the course of treatment there was no significant change of the mean BMC in either group compared to the pre-treatment value. The changes of BMC were independent of such potentially explanatory variables as cumulative dose of prednisolone, initial BMC, sex and body weight. Corticosteroid treatment in patients with GCA, in the doses used by us, does not appear to cause excessive bone loss.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Sahlgren's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nordborg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jonson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szücs
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bengtsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone