Measurement bone mineral density (BMD) of patients with beta thalassemia.

The aim of the study is determining bone mineral density (BMD) of Patients with beta thalassemia in order to find the prevalence and related factors on the conditions. -Score of femoral neck and lumbar vertebrae were reported comparing normal matched subjects. Age and bone mineral density were significantly correlated. Moreover, the disease had significantly higher severity in men than in women. A negative significant correlation was detected between BMD and the mean of hematocrit in the last 5 years. There was significant differences between sex hormone and bone density. A significant correlation between hydroxy urea and BMD were found. A significant relationship between the use of bisphosphonates and bone density were found. Osteopenia and osteoporosis were highly prevalent in our participants. Therefore, regular tests are required to examine bone mineral density in these patients. Furthermore, the exact effect of age on bone mineral density need to be clarified.