Bone mass in Parkinson's disease: a study with three methods.

Recent reports suggest the presence of osteopenia in a high percentage of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). These data contrast with previous reports of our group, perhaps due to the different methods used. We studied bone mass in 52 PD patients (28 males, 24 females) and in 80 age- and sex-matched controls (40 males, 40 females) who had no other disease that could affect bone mass. We measured the totally body bone mineral content (TBBMC) and the ultrasound bone velocity (UBV) of transmission in phalanx, and performed metacarpal radiogrammetry with computerized radiography (CCT). We also measured serum levels of total alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, which were significantly increased in PD patients compared with controls (P < 0.0001). TBBMC was significantly lower in males (P < 0.05) and females (P < 0.05) with PD with respect to their controls. CCT did not differ significantly between the study groups. UBV was significantly lower in males with PD (P < 0.005), but similar in female PD and controls. These data suggest that the changes reported in bone mass in PD patients can depend on the sex and the study methods. We only found severe osteopenia in one male (3.6%) and five females (20.8%) with PD according to z-score. Only in women was no relationship found between TBBMC and severity of PD.