Osteoporosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

In recent years the survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has increased markedly. Consequently, long-term complications, such as osteoporosis, are currently of paramount importance. SLE is known to increase the risk of bone fractures, and numerous studies have found that SLE patients have osteoporosis. Of the various risk factors associated with osteoporosis in SLE, disease duration, the use of corticosteroids and chronic disease-related damage are consistently reported, with differences between studies probably due to the different populations studied. The role of chronic inflammation in osteoporosis is also important. On the other hand, little attention has been paid to osteoporotic fractures, especially of the vertebra, which are associated with reduced quality of life, increased mortality rates and increased risk of new vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in the general population.