Abstract

The aims of this study were to examine whether postmenopausal women with psoriasis who were exposed to regular ultraviolet light B (UVB) therapy had greater bone mineral density than women of similar age from the same region, and to estimate the influence of risk factors on bone status. A total of 35 randomly selected women, age (mean +/- SD) 69.3 +/- 6.29 years (age range 60-82 years), with active psoriasis, mean onset at 37.0 years (+/- 23.5 SD) were studied. The patients had been previously exposed to broadband or narrowband UVB. Age-matched, women (n = 2448) from Göteborg, examined at the Geriatric out-patient clinic during the years 2001 and 2002, were used as controls. Bone mineral density was examined by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (Hologic Delphi A) at the hip and the lumbar spine. Medical history and lifestyle factors were assessed with a questionnaire. Postmenopausal women with psoriasis were found to have higher bone mineral density than age-matched controls. Higher body weight, physical activity and UVB exposure could explain this finding.