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Epidemiology and diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis

  • Chapter
Atlas of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Abstract

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a common, debilitating disease. The lifetime risk of any fracture occurring in women from the age of 50 years is more than 40% (Figure 2.1) [Kanis et al. 2000]. The lifetime risk of a hip fracture in women is greater than the combined lifetime risks of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is also likely to become more common in the decades ahead as the life expectancy of the population increases. The personal and economic burden of postmenopausal osteoporosis results from osteoporotic fractures, which are a significant public health problem, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. In the US alone, it has been estimated that around 2 million osteoporotic fractures occur each year. In Europe, it is estimated that more than 30% of women aged 50 years or older have osteoporosis as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, with lifetime fracture incidence rates in these women of 14%, 11%, and 13% for hip, vertebral, and distal forearm, respectively [Dennison & Cooper, 2000]. The number of osteoporotic fractures in Europe in 2000 was estimated at 3.79 million [Kanis & Johnell, 2005]. Osteoporosis can develop undetected until a fracture occurs. Any bone can be affected, but fractures of the hip and spine are of special concern; hip fractures because they nearly always result in hospitalization and major surgery, leading to impaired mobility that can be prolonged or permanent, and may even result in death, while vertebral fractures can lead to loss of height, severe back pain and deformity and are also associated with increased mortality.

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Authors
  1. Juliet Compston
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  2. Harry Genant
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Bone Diseases, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland

    René Rizzoli

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© 2010 Current Medicine Group

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Compston, J., Genant, H. (2010). Epidemiology and diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In: Rizzoli, R. (eds) Atlas of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis. Springer Healthcare, Tarporley. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-907673-28-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-907673-28-3_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer Healthcare, Tarporley

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-85873-443-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-907673-28-3

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