Abstract 19: Poor bone health in apparently healthy Indian males – A clinical entity often neglected

Background: Current guidelines recommend bone mineral density (BMD) measurement in asymptomatic men above age 70 years and vertebral fracture (VF) assessment above 80 years with T-score < -1.0 with risk factors. We studied the prevalence of osteoporosis and morphometricVF in asymptomatic males aged 60 years and above in North India. Methods: Free-living community dwelling men (n = 241, age: mean ± standard deviation 68.0 ± 6.2 years) underwent a detailed history, physical examination, biochemical evaluation, and BMD measurements at 3 sites: lumbarspine, total hip (TH), and femoralneck (FN). Morphometric VF were assessed by instant vertebral assessment using Genantetal's semi quantitative method. Results: We observed osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal BMD in 19%, 56%, and 25% of subjects, respectively. The decadewise prevalence of osteoporosis in the age groups 60–70 years, 71–80 years, and >80 years was 16.9%, 17%, and 50%, respectively. Meanserum 25-OHD levels were 17.2 ± 10.3 ng/mL. Vitamin-D deficiency (65 ng/mL) were present in 68.8% and 45.4%, respectively. VF were present in 29.6% subjects (grade I: 58%, grade II: 32.4%, and grade III: 8.8%). Age and iPTH had significant negative correlation with BMD at FN and TH. Serum25-OHD had no correlation with BMD at any site. The prevalence of VF was positively associated with age (p = 0.018) and negatively associated with BMD at FN (p = 0.002) and TH (p = 0.013). Conclusion: Osteoporosis and VF are common in asymptomatic Indian males aged 60 years and above. Screening for osteoporosis and instant vertebral assessment may be recommended earlier than currently existing guidelines.