Related Experiment Videos
Osteoporosis prevalence in men varies by the normative reference
Florent Richy1, Margaret L Gourlay, Joanne Garrett
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
Summary
Choosing the right reference data significantly impacts osteoporosis prevalence estimates in men. Different normative standards lead to substantial variations in identifying men at high risk of fracture.
Area of Science:
- Bone Densitometry and Osteoporosis Research
- Public Health and Epidemiology
Background:
- Accurate estimation of osteoporosis prevalence in men is crucial for public health initiatives.
- Current methods for estimating osteoporosis prevalence in men lack standardized normative data, leading to potential discrepancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of different normative datasets on osteoporosis prevalence estimates in men.
- To compare osteoporosis prevalence using various female and male normative standards in a male cohort.
Main Methods:
- Utilized five distinct normative datasets (NHANES female, local female, Hologic female, NHANES male, Hologic male) to assess osteoporosis prevalence.
- Applied World Health Organization diagnostic criteria to a study population of 311 men (aged 30-91) attending an osteoporosis center.
- Analyzed prevalence variations across three anatomical sites: lumbar spine, total femur, and femoral neck.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in osteoporosis prevalence were observed across different normative standards and anatomical sites.
- Osteoporosis prevalence for the total femur ranged from 7.0% (using female norms) to 15.6% (using NHANES male norms).
- Overall prevalence, considering any site, varied from 23.5% (Hologic female norms) to 35.8% (local female norms).
Conclusions:
- The choice of normative data critically influences the reported prevalence of osteoporosis in men.
- Healthcare providers and researchers must consider the effect of normative standards when interpreting osteoporosis prevalence and identifying at-risk populations.