Abnormalities of bone mineral density and bone metabolism in Venezuelan patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures. To our knowledge, the frequency of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with RA from Latin America has not been established. In this study, we have examined the bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, as well as biochemical markers of bone metabolism, in a population of 85 Venezuelan RA patients.