To Study the Prevalence of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in Patients with COPD and to Correlate Severity of COPD with Prevalence of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory airway disease characterized by both pulmonary and systemic inflammatory response and associated extra-pulmonary complications. Female gender, age and smoking are common pathogenic risk factors for both COPD and osteoporosis. Many other factors like low daily physical activity, chronic malnutrition, hypogonadism, vitamin D deficiency and chronic steroid therapy are risk factors for osteoporosis. Objectives: The study was done to evaluate the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients of COPD and to correlate the severity of COPD with osteopenia/ osteoporosis. Material & Method: The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Delhi after ethical clearance from institutional review board. Total of 76 patients of both genders were taken. COPD diagnosis and staging was done as per Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. Bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated by DEXA scan in all patients. All data was entered in preformed data sheets. Statistical analysis for association of COPD with osteoporosis was done by chi-square test. Result: Mostly patients were having either osteopenia or osteoporosis, only 6% patients were having normal BMD. COPD stage III-IV were having significant bone mass loss. Those having long smoking history were more osteoporotic as compared to others. Conclusion: There is a very high prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in COPD patients especially those with prolonged smoking history, GOLD stage III-IV. 35.5% of COPD patients had osteopenia and 57.9 % had osteoporosis.