| Objective To investigate the incidence and risk factors of osteoporosis (OP) in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), so as to provide evidence for effective prevention and intervention. Methods Six hundred and eighty-four cases of elderly RA patients in our hospital from January 2012 to September 2017 were divided into OP group (383 cases) and non-OP group (301 cases) based on the occurrence of OP. The general data and related factors of OP were recorded. The risk factors of OP in elderly RA patients were analyzed with two-classification non-conditional logistic regression. Results In 684 elderly patients with RA, 383 had OP, and the incidence was up to 56%. The incidence of OP in men and women increased with age, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The bone mineral density (T) of the lumbar spine (-2.98±0.94 vs -0.85±0.62), the femoral neck (-2.53±0.76 vs -0.82±0.57), and the total hip (-1.95±0.81 vs -0.29±0.24) in the OP group was significantly lower than that in the non-OP group (P<0.05). Two classification and unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that age [OR=1.805 (95%CI: 1.613-2.274)], course of disease [OR=1.603 (95%CI: 1.431-1.968)], ESR [OR=1.583 (95%CI: 1.286-1.815)], and DAS28 [OR=1.729 (95%CI: 1.504-2.063)] score were independent risk factors for OP in elderly RA patients, while BMI [OR=0.752 (95%CI: 0.674-0.926)], calcium intake [OR=0.584 (95%CI: 0.318-0.720)], ALB [OR=0.803 (95%CI: 0.725-0.993)], and 25 (OH) D [OR=0.713 (95%CI: 0.620-0.857)] might be OP protection factors. Conclusion The incidence of OP in elderly patients with RA is high, and there are many risk factors affecting it. Early prevention and detection should be done to reduce or delay the occurrence of OP. |