Mohammad Arif, Mohammad Inam.
Frequency of osteopenia and osteoporosis in different parts of North West Frontier Province.
J Postgrad Med Inst Jan ;20(2):196-202.

Objective: To find out the frequency of osteopenia and osteoporosis in different parts of North West Frontier Province based on calcaneal bone mineral density (BMD). Material and Methods: 1868 persons were scanned in 8 localities of NWFP by SAHARA Clinical Bone sonometer (Quantitative Ultrasound) to measure the calcaneal bone mineral density as stiffness index. People with hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, malignancy and osteomalasia were excluded from the study. Two main variables in the study were the age and sex. On T score- bone mineral density up to -1 was taken as normal, up to -2.5 as osteopenla and -2.5 and below as osteoporosis. Results: Out of the total I868 persons in all the selected areas, 554 (29.65%) were normal, 904(48.39%) were osteopenic and 410(21.95%) were osteoporotic. Out of 1372 females, 378(27.55%) were normal, 655 (47.74%) were osteopenic and 339 (24.70%) were osteoporotic. Out of 496 males, 176 (35.48%) were normal, 249(50.20%) were osteopenic and 14.31% were osteoporotic. Conclusion: Calcaneal Ultrasound is a cheap and radiation free method which provides information on BMD and perhaps on bone quality as well. Osteoporosis and osteopenia detected by calcaneal ultrasound is more frequent in our society than most parts of the world. To study it further much larger studies and expensive equipments like dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is needed.

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