COPD, Bone Metabolism, and Osteoporosis.

Chest. 2011 Mar;139(3):648-57.
Lehouck A, Boonen S, Decramer M, Janssens W.
Respiratory Division, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, KUL, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. wim.janssens at uz.kuleuven.be.

COPD and osteoporosis are strongly associated because of common risk factors such as age, smoking, and inactivity.

In addition, COPD-related systemic inflammation, vitamin D deficiency, and the use of systemic corticosteroids enhance ongoing bone destruction.

Osteoporosis, in turn, may cause fragility fractures, which further impair mobility and increase morbidity and mortality. Vertebral compression fractures and rib cage fractures in patients with COPD may also reduce pulmonary function or enhance exacerbations. Early prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in COPD is, therefore, important and should be based on integrated risk assessment tools such as FRAX, which take bone mineral density, history of fragility fractures, and population-specific clinical factors into account. As long as intervention studies focusing on the bone in COPD are lacking, a more rigorous application of existing treatment guidelines of osteoporosis in general is mandatory. PMID: 21362651
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See also Vitamin D Life

• COPD and Osteoporosis are related – vitamin D is one possible connection – 2013
• COPD related to vitamin D by a gene in China. - Aug 2010
• Vitamin D Pneumonia and COPD - thesis 105 pages 2010 file
• Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in COPD
• Is vitamin D deficiency important in the natural history of COPD? - April 2011