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CALCIUM METABOLISM AND OSTEOPOROSIS IN CORTICOSTEROID‐TREATED POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
Author(s) -
NEED A. G.,
PHILCOX J. C.,
HARTLEY T. F.,
NORDIN B. E. C.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1986.tb01183.x
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , urinary calcium , osteoporosis , hydroxyproline , creatinine , bone resorption , calcium , calcium metabolism , urinary system , corticosteroid , bone remodeling
Osteoporosis is a common complication of corticosteroid therapy and it is associated with both decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption. We have measured radiocalcium absorption and the fasting urinary calciumkreatinine and hydroxy‐prolinekreatinine ratios in 30 postmenopausal women receiving prednisolone therapy and compared the patients with normal spine radiographs ( N= 14) with those whose spine radiographs showed osteoporosis (N=16). The osteoporotic cases had lower radiocalcium absorption ( p < 0.001), higher fasting urinary calcium ( p < 0.05), and higher fasting urinary hydroxyproline excretion ( p < 0.001). As calcium absorption has a positive effect on calcium balance and urinary calcium a negative effect, the difference between these two variables was calculated in each case. This derived variable (radiocalcium absorption—fasting urinary calciumkreatinine) disclosed a greater difference between the osteoporotic and normal groups ( p < 0.0001) than either variable alone.