Prevalence of low forearm bone density in a Bulgarian female referral population.

Osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in Bulgaria is unknown except for preliminary data. We tried to determine retrospectively the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in a referral female population; 8869 consecutive Bulgarian women (age 20-87 years) were included. Information about known risk factors for low bone mass was recorded. Forearm bone mineral density was measured at the distal radius+ulna site by single X-ray absorptiometry (DTX-100 device). T- and Z-scores were calculated from Bulgarian reference data. In the total study sample 15.16% had osteoporosis and 28.8% had osteopenia. In women aged 50 years and over the corresponding prevalence was 20.45% and 32.5%. Age-adjusted prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia started rising after age 55 years. Corresponding mean T-scores also declined and the osteoporosis threshold of -2.5 SD was reached in the age group 70-74 years. Z-scores in all age groups were between 0 and -0.6, thus excluding major selection bias. This is the first large-scale Bulgarian study designed to look for the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in a referral population. It may become the starting point for future screening and intervention strategies in our country.