Osteoporosis in patients with stroke: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Stroke-related impairments and inactivity contribute to the accelerated development of bone mass removal. However, the extent of decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) after stroke and all factors that influence such rapid bone loss are still not sufficiently explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of BMD reduction in patients after stroke and to identify risk factors for osteoporosis.

This research was designed as a cross-sectional study that included patients after a first stroke (≤1.5 years from a stroke; N = 40), who went through in-hospital rehabilitation treatment. Data were gathered by the means of anamnesis and available medical documentation. For statistical analysis, we used the statistical program International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 22.0. Results were presented using standard statistical measures of central tendency and range of results. To determine the difference between variables, T-test for independent samples was used. Our study provides additional evidence that the reduction in BMD is one of the major complications of a stroke. Given that the incidence of fractures in this population is large, there is a need to perform routine DXA examinations.