Bone mineral density in patients with Parkinson's Disease.
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine, proximal femur and hand, and examines the relationship between BMD and disease duration, Hoehn and Yahr staging in Turkish elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
Twenty-four PD patients and 31 age- and sex-matched controls took part in the study. The BMD in the lumbar spine (L2-L4), femoral neck, Ward's triangle, trochanter and bilateral hands were evaluated by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in right hand BMD (rHBMD), L2-L4 spinal BMD, and right proximal femur BMD between patients and controls. However, in female patients hand BMD and right femoral neck BMD were significantly lower than in female controls (p<0.05). Male patients had no significant difference in BMD measurements in any sites compared with controls. Patients' Hoehn and Yahr index and disease duration were negatively correlated with BMD in all sites except L2-L4.


CONCLUSIONS
We emphasize the increased risk for osteoporosis in elderly female patients with PD, which is more prominent in proximal femur and hand measurements. Elderly female patients should be carefully examined and screened for osteoporosis to prevent bone loss and associated disability.
Kamanli
Ayhan
A
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, 23119 Elazig, Turkey. akamanli@hotmail.com
Ardicoglu
Ozge
O
Ozgocmen
Salih
S
Yoldas
Tahir Kurtulus
TK
D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*