Osteoporosis associated with gastrointestinal disorders: celiac and inflammatory bowel diseases

Abstract Impaired bone health is a common complication of chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases, such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, already at diagnosis and during follow-up. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are most frequently observed due to nutritional impairment and deficiencies, decreased overall physical health, and inflammation-associated alteration of bone metabolism. Treatment strategies for decreased bone mineral density in the course of chronic intestinal diseases have been studied sparsely and these studies are usually designed without assessment of bone fractures. This chapter focuses on the diagnostic approach and treatment strategies of these inflammatory, intestinal diseases with respect to the concomitant extraintestinal manifestations, especially bone health, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.