Abstract: Objective To provide the clinical basis for early prevention of osteoporosis, we investigated the change of bone mineral density, and analyzed the effects of exercise intensity and dialysis age on bone mineral density in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods A total of 120 MHD patients were recruited. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), bone mineral densities of lumbar spine and proximal femur by a bone mineral densitometer, body height and weight, dialysis adequacy, daily exercise, and blood biochemistry parameters were measured and recorded. Correlation study was performed to evaluate their relationships. Results The prevalence of osteoporosis was 38.33% in MHD patients. The t values for bone mineral densities of proximal femur and lumbar spine were significantly different between patients with higher exercise intensity and those with lower exercise intensity (t =2.578, P＜0.01; t =3.074, P＜0.01), and were negatively correlated with dialysis age (t =-0.419, P=0.01; t =-0.378, P=0.02). Conclusion Lower exercise intensity and longer dialysis age are the important risk factors for osteoporosis in MHD patients.

Key words: Hemodialysis, Bone mineral density, Exercise intensity