Osteoporosis among Italian women at risk: the OSTEOLAB study

The aim of the present study was to identify women at high risk of having osteoporosis according to the clinical judgment of their General Practitioners, but without a previous diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Cross-sectional survey.

The General Practitioners were asked to select a sample of women aged 65 years or more who could be affected by osteoporosis but had never been diagnosed nor treated: this sample included 8,268. Moreover, 8,956 women asked to be included in the study on a voluntary basis, and were analyzed separately.

Participants were referred to a mobile unit equipped with GE Lunar Express Ultras (Achilles), where they were administered a questionnaire and underwent a QUS examination. They were classified at high, moderate or low risk of having osteoporosis according to the 2007 International Society for Clinical Densitometry official position.

The prevalence rate of women at high risk of having osteoporosis was 12.5%; 53% were considered at moderate risk. Logistic regressions revealed that age, early age at menopause, history of fractures, dysthyroidism and smoking were associated with high and moderate risk.

Results suggest that General Practitioners are able to identify women at risk of having osteoporosis, but often do not treat them, suggesting that osteoporosis in Italy is still a neglected condition. The strength of the association of risk factors is similar in women at high and medium risk: this may raise a debate on the validity of this classification in the Italian population.