Prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in family practice
Versluis, R.G.; Petri, H.; van de Ven, C.M.; Scholtes, A.B.; Papapoulos, S.E.; Springer, M.P.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 143(1): 20-24
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 10086093 Document Number: 503977
To assess the prevalence of osteopenia, osteoporosis and severe vertebral deformities in general practice. Cross-sectional study. Of a randomly selected group of 712 women aged 55 to 84 years in a general practice in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, 449 (63%) participated in a study in 1996, in which Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) of the femoral neck was performed: in 428 women vertebral morphometry of lateral radiographs of the spine was also done. The World Health Organization definitions of osteopenia and osteoporosis were used. The mean bone mineral density (BMD) was 0.866 g/cm2 (SD: 0.135). With increasing age the BMD decreased statistically significantly by 0.0073 g/cm2/year. There were 189 women with osteopenia (42%). 33 (7%) with osteoporosis and 44 (10%) with one or more severe vertebral deformities. A significantly lower mean BMD was found in those with severe vertebral deformities than in those without.