The Relationship between Anemia and Bone Mineral Density Measured by Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry

Abstract

Background: The bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra has been assessed according to the results of the Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). Although anemia is known to affect bone mineral density, at the present time, it is not clear which vertebra is more affected by this disease. Objective: To evaluate the effects of anemia on the bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra in comparison with a normal subject and determine which part of the lumbar vertebra is more affected by anemia. Methods: All 205 participants in this study complained of bone pain (90 males and 105 females). 95 patients, including both sexes, suffered from anemia. Additionally, the study included 110 seemingly healthy volunteers as the control group. All participants were studied regarding their bone mineral density for lumbar vertebrae using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: The DEXA outcomes revealed highly statistically significant differences between the control and patients of each lumbar vertebra in the same sex. In addition, there were significant differences in bone mineral density among the lumbar vertebrae of the same sex. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that examining the bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae is a more effective and appropriate method for studying the bone mineral density (BMD) of the bony skeleton in any subject, with L1 and L4 vertebrae being more susceptible to osteoporosis than other vertebrae.