Key clinical point: The concomitant use of oral glucocorticoids and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with a higher risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Major finding: The risk of osteoporotic fractures was significantly higher in concomitant users of oral glucocorticoids and PPIs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35-1.89). Among current concomitant users, an increased risk was observed for fractures of the hip (aHR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.11-1.91), clinical vertebrae (aHR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.87-4.32), pelvis (aHR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.41-4.34), and ribs (aHR, 4.03; 95% CI, 2.13-7.63).
Study details: The data come from a retrospective study of 12,351 patients with RA aged 50 years or older in the United Kingdom.
Disclosures: Two of the authors reported receiving research grants and speakers’ fees from various pharmaceutical companies. The others reported no conflicts of interest.
Source: Abtahi S et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Dec 11. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-218758 .