Osteoporosis among male Saudi Arabs : A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Little attention has been paid to the problem of male os-teopororsis in Saudi Arabia. In this prospective study we assessed the prevalence of male osteoporosis among Saudi Arabs. Subjects and Methods: We studied Saudi Arabian males > 50 years of age attending outpatient clinics at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, between 1 May 2005 and 30 January 2006. We determined body mass index (BMI) and tests were done to rule out secondary os-teoporosis. All subjects had a bone mineral density (BMD) measurement of the hip area and the lumbar spine using dual energy X-ray absorpti-ometry (DEXA). A T-score of -2.5 SD that of young, healthy adults was taken as osteoporotic and scores between -1 to -2.5 SD were taken as osteopenic. Results: One hundred fifteen patients (mean age, 61.8±0.75 years; range, 50 to 76 years) had a mean BMI of 24.7±0.35 (range, 18.5 to 31). Based on hip scans, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 24.3%. Sixty-four percent were osteopenic. Based on scans of the lumbar spine, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 37.4% and 33.9% were osteopenic. Spinal osteoporosis was more common than hip osteoporosis. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the prevalence of osteoporosis among Saudi Arabian males is higher than among Western males. More studies are needed to determine the national prevalence of male osteo-porosis. It is recommended that serious measures to be undertaken to prevent male osteoporosis to stop any future epidemic of catastrophic osteoporosis-related fractures.