Read the Latest in Lupus Research: Low Level of Vitamin D Does Not Necessarily Result in Bone Disease in People With Lupus

People with lupus are advised to avoid the sun because the ultraviolet rays can trigger rashes. Some patients experience more widespread flares after sun exposure. However, sun avoidance leads to low levels of vitamin D in the body. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with thinning of the bones, or "osteoporosis." The researchers wanted to know about possible relationships between vitamin D levels in the blood, lupus treatments, and bone mineral density (BMD), a measurement of how thick bones are. The results of this study showed that people with lupus who are treated with steroids are at increased risk of having low levels of vitamin D. Although reduced levels of vitamin D are known to be directly linked to osteoporosis, this study did not show that connection.

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Lupus Living: Strong Teeth

Osteoporosis is a major health concern for millions of Americans, both women and men. For people living with lupus, the risk of bone loss and fractures due to bone loss is even greater because of lupus medications like corticosteroids, and because of the disease itself.

Caring for your bones through good nutrition, exercise, calcium / vitamin D supplements, and bone-growth medication is important if you’re at risk for bone loss. But there is one other part of your body that could be at risk: your teeth.

Besides depleting the calcium needed to keep teeth healthy, medications used to treat lupus can also trigger osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a rare condition that causes bone tissue to deteriorate and the jawbone to be exposed. However, catching symptoms of ONJ early can help prevent most pain and any serious loss or destruction of the jawbone. Here’s what to look for:

• Toothache
• Jaw pain
• Exposed bone
• Loose teeth
• Recurrent soft-tissue infections
• Numbness or feeling of heaviness in the jaw

If you’re taking an oral bisphosphonate, get regular dental checkups and alert your dentist to this and all other medications you’re taking. Be sure to tell your dentist about bleeding gums or any unusual feeling in your teeth. Although there is no cure for ONJ, it’s possible to experience some healing in your teeth and jaw with good oral care, use of antibiotics, and daily mouth rinses with antibiotic solutions.

Taken from the Fall 2008 issue of Lupus Now magazine