Talat Naheed, Nabeel Akbar, Naueen Akbar, Akbar Chaudhry.
Bone mineral density measurement in a medical camp to identify osteopenic and osteoporotic subjects.
Pak J Med Sci Jan ;21(1):74-7.

Objective: To identify osteopenic and osteoporotic subjects through bone mineral density measurement. Design: An observational, cross sectional study, carried out in a relatively affluent community, both below and above 40 years of age, in both sexes. Settings: In a medical camp held under the supervision of the medical specialists. Main outcome measures: Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was assessed on all the subjects by SAHARA ultrasound bone densitometer on right calcaneus. Results: Sixty subjects were studied, out of these 35(58.3%) were females and 25(41.7%) were males. The age range was 16 - 80 years with the mean of 46.95±18.61. Out of sixty subjects 17 were below 40 years and 43 were above the age of 40. Daily milk intake was in the range of 25-750 ml/day with the mean of 166.82±137.10. Symptoms of difficulty in getting up from floor, bone pains, cramps, body aches and pains were more prominent amongst subjects above the age of 40 years. BMD, in males below 40 years was in the Range of -3.20 ± 2.80 with the mean of 0.125±1.66 and in females was in the Range of -2.80 ±2.00, with the mean of 0.266±1.34. In subjects above 40 years, amongst males it was in the Range of -3.00 ±3.00, and mean of -0.1720±1.532 and females in the Range of -3.50 ±1.70 with the mean -0.8057±1.364. In subjects understudy 30/60 (50%) had normal BMD, 20/ 60 (33.4%) were osteopenic and 10/60 (16.6%) were osteoporotic. In patients over 40 years of age 29/43(67.44%) were either osteopenic or osteoporotic. Conclusion: BMD is a simple noninvasive but expensive tool which can help in identifying osteopenic and osteoporotic subjects in both genders. It is expected that the problem is much more in the poor and malnourished community. Early detection of potential and at risk individuals and their timely and appropriate treatment can reduce the stresses of mental, physical and financial nature. Strategies need to be developed to encourage modifications of all risk factors for osteoporosis early in life.

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