WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Mahmood Talib Hussein, Anaam Mohammed Thijar and Zaid Abdul- Hussien Hassan

ABSTRACT

Background: Osteoporosis is a growing public health concern with substantial medical, social, and economic implications. Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), especially those undergoing long-term therapy, may be at increased risk for reduced bone mineral density (BMD). Objective: This study aimed to assess the potential association between BMD and chronic myeloid leukemia, particularly in patients receiving Imatinib therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hematology and Rheumatology consultation clinics of Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Iraq, from September 2019 to May 2020. The study included 84 CML patients in the chronic phase, all receiving Imatinib, and 84 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Participants, aged 20–70 years, underwent comprehensive history taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, and BMD assessment using Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Results: In the CML group, lumbar spine DXA showed normal BMD in 56.1%, osteopenia in 17.1%, and osteoporosis in 26.8%, compared to 72%, 11%, and 17.1%, respectively, in controls. Femoral neck results were similar between groups, with 74.4% normal, 20.7% osteopenic, and 4.9% osteoporotic in both. Although the overall difference in osteoporosis prevalence was not statistically significant, age, menopausal status, BMI, disease duration, and treatment duration appeared to influence BMD in CML patients. Conclusion: Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common in CML patients, particularly at the lumbar spine. While Imatinib therapy may help stabilize BMD over time, conventional risk factors such as age and menopause significantly contribute to bone loss, warranting regular monitoring and preventive strategies.