A new study from researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that children and young adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD may face a hidden threat – weakened bones. Researchers showed that a significant number of young patients with IBD have low bone mineral density (BMD), putting them at a higher risk for fractures and long-term bone complications. The findings were published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
IBD, which includes Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, is most often diagnosed based on gastrointestinal symptoms. However, it can interfere with how the body absorbs nutrients including those critical for building and maintaining strong bones.
“Our findings confirm that children and teens with IBD are vulnerable to developing low bone mineral density, and that low BMI Z-score can help identify patients most at risk,” said Kanak Kennedy, who was previously a pediatric gastroenterology fellow in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “These results highlight the need for more routine screening and intervention to prevent long-term complications.”
In the single-center retrospective study, researchers analyzed data from 600 patients aged 3 to 22 years old who underwent dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans between 2006 and 2019. DXA scans are considered the gold standard for assessing bone density. Researchers also collected demographic, clinical and lab information to identify predictors of low BMD, defined as Z-scores. Additionally, a subset of 378 patients had genetic data available, allowing for the assessment of genetic risk factors using polygenic risk scores derived from genome-wide association studies.
Based on this data, the team identified several factors that may increase the risk of low BMD in young patients. These include prolonged disease activity, steroid use, delayed growth or puberty and deficiency in calcium or vitamin D. The authors noted that lower BMI should prompt DXA monitoring in patients with pediatric IBD and that genetic predisposition may be helpful in identifying an at-risk population.
This study was funded by the Tobacco Formula grant under the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (C.U.R.E) program (SAP # 4100068710).
Kennedy et al. “Prevalence and predictors of low bone mineral density in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.” J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Online April 29, 2025. DOI:10.1002/jpn3.7004.
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A new study from researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that children and young adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD may face a hidden threat – weakened bones. Researchers showed that a significant number of young patients with IBD have low bone mineral density (BMD), putting them at a higher risk for fractures and long-term bone complications. The findings were published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
IBD, which includes Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, is most often diagnosed based on gastrointestinal symptoms. However, it can interfere with how the body absorbs nutrients including those critical for building and maintaining strong bones.
“Our findings confirm that children and teens with IBD are vulnerable to developing low bone mineral density, and that low BMI Z-score can help identify patients most at risk,” said Kanak Kennedy, who was previously a pediatric gastroenterology fellow in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “These results highlight the need for more routine screening and intervention to prevent long-term complications.”
In the single-center retrospective study, researchers analyzed data from 600 patients aged 3 to 22 years old who underwent dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans between 2006 and 2019. DXA scans are considered the gold standard for assessing bone density. Researchers also collected demographic, clinical and lab information to identify predictors of low BMD, defined as Z-scores. Additionally, a subset of 378 patients had genetic data available, allowing for the assessment of genetic risk factors using polygenic risk scores derived from genome-wide association studies.
Based on this data, the team identified several factors that may increase the risk of low BMD in young patients. These include prolonged disease activity, steroid use, delayed growth or puberty and deficiency in calcium or vitamin D. The authors noted that lower BMI should prompt DXA monitoring in patients with pediatric IBD and that genetic predisposition may be helpful in identifying an at-risk population.
This study was funded by the Tobacco Formula grant under the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (C.U.R.E) program (SAP # 4100068710).
Kennedy et al. “Prevalence and predictors of low bone mineral density in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.” J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Online April 29, 2025. DOI:10.1002/jpn3.7004.
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