Prevalence of osteoporosis, estimation of probability of fracture and bone metabolism study in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer in the health area of Lugo

Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente presentado como póster con defensa en el 34.o Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria (semFYC).[Resumen] Objetivo. Estudiar la prevalencia de osteoporosis y probabilidad de fractura en pacientes diagnosticados de cáncer de próstata. Diseño. Estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal. Emplazamiento. Estudio realizado desde atención primaria del área sanitaria de Lugo en colaboración con los servicios de Reumatología y Urología de nuestro hospital de referencia. Participantes. Pacientes diagnosticados de cáncer de próstata sin enfermedad metastásica ósea, desde enero a diciembre del año 2012. Mediciones principales. Se recogieron variables epidemiológicas, clínicas, analíticas y densitométricas implicadas en la osteoporosis. Se estimó la probabilidad de fractura mediante la herramienta FRAX®. Resultados. Ochenta y tres pacientes cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Ninguno fue excluido. La edad media fue de 67 años. El índice de masa corporal fue de 28,28. Veinticinco pacientes (30,1%) presentaban fracturas osteoporóticas previas. Otros factores de riesgo prevalentes fueron el alcohol (26,5%) y el tabaco (22,9%). Ochenta y dos sujetos presentaban valores de vitamina D por debajo de lo normal (98,80%). La densitometría de cuello femoral mostró que el 8,9% presentaron osteoporosis y el 54% osteopenia. La media del riesgo de fractura en esta población, estimado con la herramienta FRAX®, fue del 2,63% para fractura de cuello femoral y del 5,28% para fractura principal. Utilizando los puntos de corte para el riesgo de fractura propuestos por Azagra et al., 24 pacientes (28,92%) tuvieron un valor de FRAX® para fractura principal sin DXA de más del 5%, y 8 sujetos (9,64%), ≥ 7,5%. Conclusiones. La prevalencia de osteoporosis en esta población fue muy elevada. Los factores de riesgo asociados a osteoporosis más frecuentes fueron: fractura osteoporótica previa, consumo de alcohol, hábito tabáquico y antecedente familiar de fractura previa. La probabilidad de fractura mediante la herramienta FRAX® de cuello femoral fue baja. La hipovitaminosis D fue muy frecuente (98,8%).[Abstract] Objective. To study the prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture probability in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Design. Observational descriptive transversal study. Site. Study performed from Primary Care of Lugo in collaboration with Rheumatology and Urology Services of our referral hospital. Participants. Patients diagnosed with prostate cancer without bone metastatic disease from January to December 2012. Main measurements. Epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and densitometric variables involved in osteoporosis were collected. The likelihood of fracture was estimated by FRAX® Tool. Results. Eighty-three patients met the inclusion criteria. None was excluded. The average age was 67 years. The Body Mass Index was 28.28. Twenty-five patients (30.1%) had previous osteoporotic fractures. Other prevalent risk factors were alcohol (26.5%) and smoking (22.9%). Eighty-two subjects had vitamin D below normal level (98.80%). Femoral Neck densitometry showed that 8.9% had osteoporosis and 54% osteopenia. The average fracture risk in this population, estimated by FRAX®, was 2.63% for hip fracture and 5.28% for major fracture. Cut level for FRAX® major fracture value without DXA > 5% and ≥ 7.5% proposed by Azagra et al. showed 24 patients (28.92%) and 8 patients (9.64%) respectively. Conclusions. The prevalence of osteoporosis in this population was very high. The more frequent risk factors associated with osteoporosis were: previous osteoporotic fracture, alcohol consumption, smoking and family history of previous fracture. The probability of fracture using femoral neck FRAX® tool was low. Vitamin D deficiency was very common (98.8%)

Anti-TNF-alpha-adalimumab therapy is associated with persistent improvement of endothelial function without progression of carotid intima-media wall thickness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to conventional therapy

To determine whether treatment with the anti-TNF-alpha blocker adalimumab yields persistent improvement of endothelial function and prevents from morphological progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to conventional therapy, a series of 34 consecutive RA patients, attending hospital outpatient clinics and who were switched from disease modifying antirheumatic drug therapy to anti-TNF-alpha-adalimumab treatment because of severe disease, were assessed by ultrasonography techniques before the onset of adalimumab therapy (at day 0) and then at day 14 and at month 12. Values of flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation at day 14 and at month 12 were significantly higher (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 6.1 ± 3.9%; median: 5.7% at day 14, and mean ± SD: 7.4 ± 2.8%; median: 6.9% at month 12) than those obtained at day 0 (mean: 4.5 ± 4.0%; median: 3.6%; P = 0.03 and P < 0.001, resp.). Endothelium-independent vasodilatation results did not significantly change compared with those obtained at day 0. No significant differences were observed when carotid artery intima-media wall thickness values obtained at month 12 (mean ± SD: 0.69 ± 0.21 mm) were compared with those found at day 0 (0.65 ± 0.16 mm) (P = 0.3). In conclusion, anti-TNF-alpha-adalimumab therapy has beneficial effects on the development of the subclinical atherosclerosis disease in RA