Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: To evaluate the presence and the degree of osteoporosis and osteopenia in a group of patients with established hyperthyroidism from at least six months.

Material and methods: This study was based on a quantitative measurement of bone mineral density with and heel ultrasound densitometer (Type Pegassus). Each selected patient was recorded for the weight, height, BMI, age, gender. No patient was previously treated for osteoporosis or osteopenia. A control group with similar data was selected form the general population, with no personal or familiar history of hyperthyroidism. None of them had a known history for osteoporosis or had received any medication for this condition. The criteria for osteoporosis were those recommended from the WHO. Osteoporosis =T-score <−2.5.

Results: We studied 64 patients with confirmed hyperthyroidism from at least six months. There were 22 males and 42 females (33/67%). Mean age 59.9±12.1 years, weight 74±2 kg, BMI 27.8 kg/m². For the control group: 38 patients (18/20 M/F), age 60.5±11.1 years, weight 69.9±12.3 kg, BMI 26.2 kg/m². The mean values of T-score for the hyperthyroid patients were −3.7±1.4 and −2.0 for the control group. 55% of patients with hyperthyroidism had severe osteoporosis, compared with only 9.5% of control group (P<0.001). The gender itself was no significant.

Conclusions: The silent osteoporosis and osteopenia is relatively frequent in hyperthyroidism, significantly more than in normal population. The stimulation of osteoclasts more than osteoblasts and alteration of remodeling cycling from thyroid hormones is believed to be the causative factor.