Height loss rate as a marker of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis.

The relation between the loss of height and bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and proximal femur was determined in 61 women aged 56-70 years suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Statistically highly significant negative correlations were found between the loss of height and the spinal and femoral BMD. A loss of 4 cm or more in height over 10 years seems to be associated with a significant decrease of BMD, and it can be recommended as a clinical marker of osteoporosis.