FREQUENCY OF LUMBAR SPINE OSTEOPENIA IN P OSTMENOPAUSAL CHILEAN FEMALES

The aim of this study was to assess lumbar spine bone density in a gro up of chilean postmenopausal females and to estimate the frequency of vertebral osteopenia in the national urban female population. A clinic al assessment and lumbar spine bone density measurement were performed to 171 healthy women over 40 years of age and not receiving medicatio ns that modify bone turnover. Calcium ingestion was recalled in 77 of these. Fifty women (29.2%) had osteopenia, defined as a bone density o f less than 0.92 g/cm2. Extrapolating this figure to the national urba n population, an osteopenia frequency of 21.7% was estimated. Body mas s index was 25.5 +/- 3.8 and 57% of the sample was overweight. Calcium ingestion was 740.3 +/- 331.7. These two parameters did not correlati ve with bone density. Women with osteopenia were older and had a longe r postmenopausal lapse than those with normal bone density. The comple tion of further clinical an epidemiological studies is recommended to know the real magnitude of osteoporosis in Chile.