Trabecular bone score and vertebral fracture assessment in portuguese premenopausal women with hyperthyroidism

Abstract

Hyperthyroidism is a risk factor for reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporotic fractures. Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) detects vertebral fractures and trabecular bone score (TBS) is an index of bone microarchitecture. We aimed to evaluate the effects of hyperthyroidism on BMD, soft body tissue composition, prevalence of silent vertebral fractures and TBS. Eighty Portuguese premenopausal women were divided and matched in overt hyperthyroidism (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. BMD (g/cm2) at lumbar spine, hip, radius 33 % and whole body and the total body masses (kg) were studied by DXA. VFA was used to detect fractures and those were classified by Genant’s semiquantitative method and confirmed by X-ray. TBS was obtained from lumbar spine DXA images. No patient had previously been treated for hyperthyroidism, osteoporosis or low bone mass. Adequate statistical tests were used. In the hyperthyroidism group, the mean BMD (total hip, femoral neck and whole body), the total lean mass and TBS were significantly lower; according to ISCD classification, there was a trend for a higher prevalence of low BMD; vertebral fractures were significantly higher. These results suggest that in a group of hyperthyroid premenopausal women there are significantly lower BMD, lean mass and TBS. The prevalence of silent vertebral fractures is also significantly higher.

Keywords

• tbs
• osteoporosis
• hyperthyroidism
• vertebral fractures
• premenopausal women