Prevalence and factors associated with osteoporosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background and objective: Diabetes mellitus is a long-lasting metabolic condition with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using a Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan and to find out the factors that are associated with osteoporosis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 100 type 2 diabetic patients attending the medical ward of Rizgary Teaching Hospital and outpatients of internal medicine and rheumatology in Erbil City from October 2017 to March 2018. Results: Out of a hundred patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, 28 were men and 72 were women. The prevalence of osteoporosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus was 40%. The age range was from 33-91 years (The mean age 59.5 years). Out of all collected patients, 44 were current smokers. In relation to anti-diabetic medications, among a total of 100 patients, only four of them relied on diet control alone. The majorities, 69 patients, were taking oral hypoglycemic drugs, six patients were exclusively on insulin therapy, whereas 21 diabetic patients were managing their condition through a combination of oral hypoglycemic drugs and insulin therapy. The minimum duration of Diabetes among patients was 2 years. The minimum range of serum vitamin D was six ng/ml while the maximum was 35 ng/ml (mean is 21.1). The minimum serum calcium was 7 mg/dl while the maximum number was 10.6 mg/dl (the mean is 9). Conclusion: The prevalence of osteoporosis among diabetic patients was common. Significant association was found with old age, long duration of the disease, post-menopausal status of the female and low serum vitamin D level.