The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their relation with disease severity

Objective: Osteopenia and osteoporosis are within the systemic features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of osteopenia and osteoporosis in COPD patients and to determine the correlation between bone mineral dansity (BMD) and the clinical characteristics of COPD patients. Method: This retrospective study was conducted in the department of Pulmonary Medicine, at a university hospital in Turkey between January 2014 to August 2016. Data of 92 patients with COPD who underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate BMD were extracted from the medical records. Osteopenia/osteoporosis was assessed with the T and Z scores. Results: Mean age of the patients was 66.2±9.2 years and males comprised 89.1% of the study group. The frequency of osteopenia/osteoporosis in the COPD patients was 63.0%. Osteopenia/osteoporosis frequency was same in GOLD C/D and GOLD A/B patients [12/19 (%63.1) and 46/73 (%63.1)]. Exacerbation number in the previous year and the readmission rates were higher and the duration of hospital stay of the patients with osteoporosis was longer (p<0.05). A significant positive correlation was noted between body mass index and BMD (r=0.489, p<0.001), BMD and FEV1/FVC (r=0.226, p=0.040), exacerbation number in the previous year (r=-0.429, p=0.001) and the duration of hospital stay in admission (r=-0.228, p=0.034). As the severity of GOLD stage increased, the prevalence of osteopenia was also increased (ptrend <0.001). Conclusions: Our data suggest that the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in COPD patients is high independent of disease stage. Abnormal BMD results are associated with frequent exacerbation, prolongation of hospital stay, and poor course of the disease