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[Prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in family practice]
R G Versluis1, H Petri, C M van de Ven
1Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum, Leiden.
Objective:
To assess the prevalence of osteopenia, osteoporosis and severe vertebral deformities in general practice.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Methods:
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.
Results:
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.