Osteoporosis and osteopenia in female health workers from Mexico City

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) in Mexican population is not well known. This disease constitutes a risk factor for fractures due to OP, which result in disability, poor quality of life and increased mortality rates. OBJECTIVES: To determine prevalence of OP and osteopenia in a group of female health workers from Mexico City using central densitometry (Dual X Ray Absorptiometry-DXA); to compare the Hispanic reference database from the LUNAR DPX L unit vs. the study population; to determine the age at which the peak bone mass is reached and to explore the relationship between some well known factors for osteoporosis and bone mass. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prolective, cross-sectional observational study 588 healthy females older than 18 years were selected at different stages and a hip and spine densitometry (DXA) was undertaken with a LUNA DPX L unit. To determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia we used the criteria of the Committee of Experts on Osteoporosis from the World Health Organization. RESULTS: The mean age of our study population was 42.3 years +/- 9.6 (20-65); the weight 66 kg +/- 12.1 (41-139) and height 153.9 cm +/- 5.7 (138-177). The prevalence of osteoporosis on the lumbar spine was 13.5% (IC 95%: 10.5-16) and osteopenia 27.7 (IC 95%: 24-31). On the femoral neck, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 2% (IC 95%: 1.0-3) and osteopenia 26.1% (IC 95%: 22-29). The peak bone mass on the femoral neck was found between 31 to 35 years and in the lumbar spine between 26-30 years. In these groups, the bone mineral density falls as age rises. When we compare our results to reference population from the LUNAR densitometer database and to our same study group, there is an overestimation of the prevalence of OP and osteopenia on the lumbar spine and osteopenia on the femoral neck. We found a prevalence of overweight and obesity higher to reported at the Mexican National Survey of Nutrition.