Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Duzce Medical Journal, cilt.27, sa.2, ss.184-188, 2025 (Scopus, TRDizin)
Aim: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the follow-up and treatment processes of many chronic diseases, including osteoporosis. This study aimed to determine whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and bone mineral density (BMD) measurements in patients diagnosed with osteoporosis were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess changes in follow-up and treatment protocols. Material and Methods: The study included 598 patients diagnosed with osteoporosis between December 1, 2018, and March 1, 2020. The duration of follow-up after the pandemic, femoral neck T-score and BMD value, lumbar vertebrae total (L1-4) T-score and BMD value, 25(OH)D levels, and medical treatments for osteoporosis were recorded retrospectively. Results: The mean duration of follow-up visits after the pandemic was nearly two years. 25(OH)D levels were significantly higher in the post-pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic period (p<0.001). Lumbar total T-scores and BMD values, femoral neck T-scores, and BMD values were higher in the pre-pandemic period (p<0.001 for all). There was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of denosumab use in the post-pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period in the treatment of osteoporosis (p<0.001). Conclusion: There is a delay in follow-up of patients, a decrease in BMD and T-scores, an increase in 25(OH)D levels, and an increase in treatment only with denosumab compared to the pre-pandemic period. It is essential to develop remote assessment methods for diagnosing and monitoring osteoporosis, particularly when accessing health services is challenging, and to make treatments as accessible as possible at home through patient education.