title: [Bone mineral density in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the prevalence of osteoporosis (OPO) and osteopenia (OPE) in female patients with rheumatic arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  60 female patients with proved diagnosis of RA aged 34-64 years: 30 premenopausal women (median age 41.5 years, disease duration 9.5 years) and 30 postmenopausal women (median age 56.2 years, disease duration 10.2 years). Both groups have not undergone any glucocorticoid or antiosteoporotic therapy. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured with a Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) in the lumbar spine, proximal segments of the femur, forearm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group of premenopausal patients with RA the rate of OPE was 63% for forearm, 60% for femoral neck, 33% for lumbar spine. In postmenopausal women 53, 50 and 50%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Osteoporosis in RA is of a generalized character and can be encountered in peripheral skeleton more often than in the axial one. It is possible to estimate the BMD of one section by means of the BMD indicator of another section.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gukasian
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Nasonov
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Balabanova
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Smirnov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000473:pathology*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000473:pathology; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause