Bone health in patients with fibromyalgia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether women with fibromyalgia are at increased risk of developing osteoporosis or osteomalacia.


METHODS
Forty premenopausal women with fibromyalgia and 37 age-matched female controls were studied. Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and velocity of sound (VOS) were measured at the calcaneum and bone mineral density was measured at the forearm and lumbar spine using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and plasma viscosity were measured in all subjects and parathyroid hormone was measured in subjects recruited in the latter part of the study.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and seven controls had 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations <20 nmol/l (P < 0.015) and in three FMS patients serum parathyroid hormone was raised. Bone density in fibromyalgia patients was slightly lower at the mid-distal forearm but comparable to that in controls at other sites.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no reason to recommend routine bone densitometry in fibromyalgia patients. However, vitamin D subnutrition is common in these patients and this should be sought.
Al-Allaf
A W
AW
University Department of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK.
Mole
P A
PA
Paterson
C R
CR
Pullar
T
T
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010018:Osteomalacia / Q000209:etiology; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D