Frequency of Osteoporosis in Patients Presenting with Chronic Liver Disease at Tertiary Care Hospital Karachi

Osteoporosis is a disease of low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Because osteoporosis suddenly manifests with fractures at multiple skeletal sites, most often at the spine, hip, or wrist, it is termed "silent disease". This becomes even important in CLD patients. Objective: To determine the frequency of osteoporosis in patients presenting with chronic liver disease (CLD) at Al Tibri Medical College and Hospital, Karachi. Methods: A Total of 120 CLD patients of either gender were included. Data like age, gender, residence, and duration of CLD were recorded and followed by a study of bone mineral density (BMD) in the distal forearm of the non-dominant hand using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). If BMD <–2.5 SD, then osteoporosis was positive. SPSS version 23.0 was used for analysis. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Effect modification was controlled through Chi-square. p-value<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age was 39.49 ± 8.12 years. Mean CLD duration was 5.93 ± 2.29 years. Male were 68.3%. A total of 31.7% of patients with CLD had a BMD score <–2.5 SD and were observed as osteoporosis. The frequency of osteoporosis decreased with increasing age, but not statistically significant. Numerically, male was more affected than female, however, with an insignificant association. The duration of CLD was an effect modifier insignificantly. Conclusion: Almost every third patient of CLD has osteoporosis. The current study recommends screening of all such patients.