Bone Mineral Density in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Description: Co-hosts Ryan Piansky, a graduate student and patient advocate living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic asthma, and Holly Knotowicz, a speech-language pathologist living with EoE who serves on APFED’s Health Sciences Advisory Council, interview Anna Henderson, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Northern Light Health in Maine, about bone mineral density in EoE patients. They discuss a paper she co-authored on the subject. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between listeners and their healthcare providers. Opinions, information, and recommendations shared in this podcast are not a substitute for medical advice. Decisions related to medical care should be made with your healthcare provider. Opinions and views of guests and co-hosts are their own. Key Takeaways: [:50] Co-host Ryan Piansky introduces the episode, brought to you thanks to the support of Education Partners Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda. Ryan introduces co-host Holly Knotowicz. [1:17] Holly introduces today’s topic, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and bone density. [1:22] Holly introduces today’s guest, Dr. Anna Henderson, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Northern Light Health in Maine. [1:29] During her pediatric and pediatric gastroenterology training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, she took a special interest in eosinophilic esophagitis. In 2019, Dr. Henderson received APFED’s NASPGHAN Outstanding EGID Abstract Award. [1:45] Holly, a feeding therapist in Maine, has referred many patients to Dr. Henderson and is excited to have her on the show. [2:29] Dr. Henderson is a wife and mother. She loves to swim and loves the outdoors. She practices general pediatric GI in Bangor, Maine, at a community-based academic center. [2:52] Her patient population is the northern two-thirds of Maine. Dr. Henderson feels it is rewarding to bring her expertise from Cincinnati to a community that may not otherwise have access to specialized care. [3:13] Dr. Henderson’s interest in EoE grew as a GI fellow at Cincinnati Children’s. Her research focused on biomarkers for disease response to dietary therapies and EoE’s relationship to bone health. [3:36] As a fellow, Dr. Henderson rotated through different specialized clinics. She saw there were many unanswered questions about the disease process, areas to improve treatment options, and quality of life for the patients suffering from these diseases. [4:00] Dr. Henderson saw many patients going through endoscopies. She saw the social barriers for patients following strict diets. She saw a huge need in EoE and jumped on it. [4:20] Ryan grew up with EoE. He remembers the struggles of constant scopes, different treatment options, and dietary therapy. Many people struggled to find what was best for them before there was a good approved treatment. [4:38] As part of Ryan’s journey, he learned he has osteoporosis. He was diagnosed at age 18 or 19. His DEXA scan had such a low Z-score that they thought the machine was broken. He was retested. [5:12] Dr. Henderson explains that bone mineral density is a key measure of bone health and strength. Denser bones contain more minerals and are stronger. A low bone mineral density means weaker bones. Weaker bones increase the risk of fracture. [5:36] DEXA scan stands for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry scan. It’s a type of X-ray that takes 10 to 30 minutes. A machine scans over their bones. Typically, we’re most interested in the lumbar spine and hip bones. [5:56] The results are standardized to the patient’s height and weight, with 0 being the average. A negative number means weaker bones than average for that patient’s height and weight. Anything positive means stronger bones for that patient’s height and weight. [6:34] A lot of things can affect a patient’s bone mineral density: genetics, dietary history, calcium and Vitamin D intake, and medications, including steroid use. Prednisone is a big risk factor for bone disease. [7:07] Other risk factors are medical and auto-immune conditions, like celiac disease, and age. Any patient will have their highest bone density in their 20s to 30s. Females typically have lower bone mineral density than males. [7:26] The last factor is lifestyle. Patients who are more active and do weight-bearing exercises will have higher bone mineral density than patients who have more of a sedentary lifestyle. [7:56] Ryan was told his bone mineral density issues were probably a side-effect of the long-term steroids he was on for his EoE. Ryan is now on benralizumab for eosinophilic asthma. He is off steroids. [8:36] Dr. Henderson says the research is needed to find causes of bone mineral density loss besides glucocorticoids. [8:45] EoE patients are on swallowed steroids, fluticasone, budesonide, etc. Other patients are on ...