Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Around 40% of white women and 13% of white men in the United States have at least one fragility fracture after the age of 50 years. The risk of fracture increases with advancing age and progressive loss of bone mass, and varies with the population being considered. The age-adjusted incidence of fragility fractures in both sexes is 25% lower in Britain and many areas of Europe than in the United States. Mortality 5 years after hip or vertebral fracture is about 20% in excess of that expected; mortality rate is highest in men > 75 years suffering from a variety of chronic diseases. Most excess deaths occur in the first 6 months after hip fracture. One year after hip fracture, 40% of patients are still unable to walk independently, 60% have difficulty with at least one essential activity of daily living, and 80% are restricted in other activities, such as driving and grocery shopping. Moreover, 27% of these patients enter a nursing home for the first time. Less is known of the epidemiology of vertebral fractures and of the associated mortality and morbidity. Although an estimated 30% of postmenopausal U.S. white women have osteoporosis, and 1 in 4 has at least one vertebral deformity, two thirds of vertebral fractures remain undiagnosed. After a clinically diagnosed vertebral fracture, survival rate decreases gradually from that expected without fracture. Women with severe vertebral deformities have a consistently higher risk of back pain and height loss. An accurate assessment of the risk of fractures associated with osteoporosis and of their impact on quality of life is essential if appropriate and cost-effective interventions are to be designed for different populations.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Am j med

Publication Date

18/08/1997

Volume

103

Pages

12S - 17S

Keywords

Disabled Persons, Female, Fractures, Bone, Hip Fractures, Humans, Male, Quality of Life, Risk, Spinal Fractures, United Kingdom, United States