Public health impact of osteoporosis

Abstract

Objective: To describe the public health impact of osteoporosis including the magnitude of the problem and important consequences of osteoporotic fractures.

Methods: Literature review of key references selected by author.

Results: Current demographic trends leading to an increased number of individuals surviving past age 65 will result in an increased number of osteoporotic fractures. Important consequences of osteoporotic fractures include an increased mortality that for hip fractures extends to 10 years after the fracture. Increased mortality risk also extends to major and minor fractures, especially, in those over 75 years. Hip and vertebral fractures have important functional consequences and reductions in quality of life. The economic impact of osteoporotic fractures is large and growing. Significant health care resources are required for all fractures.

Conclusions: To alleviate the public and private burden of osteoporosis related fractures, assessment of risk and reduction of individual risk is critical.

Keywords: Aging; Bone; Osteoporosis; Public health.

Figure 1.

Relative hazard of all-cause mortality for women and men with hip fracture versus control groups during a given follow-up period starting at the time of injury.

Figure 2.

Excess direct costs (year 2006 values) for Medicare patients and controls with nonvertebral (NV) fractures, 1999–2006 (n = 48 742). Note that lower leg fractures include foot, ankle, tibia, fibula, and patella; forearm fractures include hand, wrist, radius, and ulna; upper arm fractures include humerus, clavicle, and scapula. NVNH = nonvertebral, nonhip.