title: Frequency of low bone mineral density in Saudi patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metabolic bone disease is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our aim was to determine the frequency of bone loss among Saudi patients with IBD and possible contributing risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed Saudi patients with IBD, between 18 and 70 years of age, who had bone mass density (BMD) determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning at one of three hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2001 to 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case notes and BMDs results were carefully reviewed for demographic and clinical data. Low bone mass, osteopenia, and osteoporosis were defined according to the WHO guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Predictive factors for BMD were analyzed using group comparisons and stepwise regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-five patients were included; 46% had Crohn's disease (CD) and 54% had ulcerative colitis (UC). The average age was 30.9±11.6 years. Using T-scores, the frequency of osteopenia was 44.2%, and the frequency of osteoporosis was 30.5% at both lumbar spine and proximal femur. Only 25.3% of patients exhibited a BMD within the normal range. Our results revealed a positive correlation between the Z-score in both the lumbar spine and the proximal femur and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.042 and P=0.018, respectively). On regression analysis BMI, age, and calcium supplementation were found to be the most important independent predictors of BMD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Saudi patients with IBD are at an increased risk of low BMD and the frequency of decreased BMD in Saudi patients with CD and UC were similar. BMI and age were the most important independent predictors of low BMD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. mismail.md@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mona H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Abdulmohsen H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al-Elq
authors.forename: Mahdi E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Al-Jarodi
authors.forename: Nahla A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Azzam
authors.forename: Abdulrahman M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aljebreen
authors.forename: Sami A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Momen
authors.forename: Bahaa F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Bseiso
authors.forename: Fatma A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Al-Mulhim
authors.forename: Abdulaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alquorain
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric