Early preventative treatment for hemophilia significantly reduces the risk of bone loss, according to a European study presented at the EAHAD 2026 conference.
The research, conducted across multiple countries, demonstrates a strong link between the severity of hemophilia and when preventative treatment, known as prophylaxis, is initiated. Patients who began prophylaxis early in life experienced substantially lower rates of osteopenia and osteoporosis compared to those who started later or did not receive preventative care.
The case-control study involved 224 patients with hemophilia – 130 with hemophilia A and 94 with hemophilia B – and compared them to 224 healthy individuals matched for age and body mass index (BMI). The study took place in 23 treatment centers across France, Belgium, Romania, Croatia, and Hungary.
Researchers measured bone density in the femoral neck and spine, defining osteopenia as a T-score between –1 and –2.5, and osteoporosis as a T-score below –2.5. Among patients with severe hemophilia who did not receive prophylaxis, 24.2% had osteoporosis, a stark contrast to the 3% observed in the control group. The presence of a Hepatitis C infection further increased this risk, rising to 46.7% compared to 5.6% in controls.
Patients who initiated prophylaxis after the age of 20 also showed a heightened risk of osteoporosis (33.3% versus 10.4% in controls) and nearly double the rate of osteopenia (83.3% versus 47.9%). However, those who began prophylaxis early – between the ages of 0-10 or 11-20 – along with patients with mild or moderate hemophilia, exhibited bone loss rates comparable to those of healthy controls. The study also indicated a higher risk in patients with hemophilia A compared to hemophilia B.
These findings highlight the importance of proactive bone health management in hemophilia care. Researchers recommend routine monitoring of bone density for patients at risk. This research underscores the growing understanding of the long-term health implications of hemophilia and the benefits of early intervention to improve quality of life.
Source:
Tardy B, Brinza M, Boban A, et al. European prospective case-control study evaluating the prevalence of bone loss in patients with hemophilia: PHILEOS study. EAHAD 2026, abstract PO044.
