• ABSTRACT
    • In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) , the osteoclast pathway is activated by abnormal immune conditions accompanied by chronic inflammation resulting in periarticular osteoporosis and local bone destruction around joints. In addition, multiple factors lead to systemic osteoporosis, including reduced physical activity and pharmacotherapies such as steroids. These conditions cause decreased bone mineral density and bone quality, and expose patients to an increased risk of fracture. When treating patients with RA osteoporosis, it is important to improve systemic osteoporosis using anti-osteoporotic agents, and to suppress fracture risk by controlling inflammation (which is associated with periarticular osteoporosis and bone destruction) with a combination of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or biological agents.