Endocrine Abstracts

Osteoporosis is a bone disease predisposing to bone fragility. Nowadays, the population is screened for osteoporosis and measures are taken for fracture prevention. Additionally, people are urged to have a diet rich in calcium, are given calcium supplements and are being treated for vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, osteoporosis treatment is administered. Therefore, the relationship between osteoporosis and fractures in the real world setting is very interesting.

The aim was to study the prevalence of fragility fractures in a cohort of patients being followed up and treated for osteoporosis in a center of excellence for the management of osteoporosis in Athens.

A cohort of 91 patients, 82 female and 9 male, aged 69.71±1.09 years, who were followed up and treated as needed for osteoporosis in a center of excellence was studied. Bone mineral density was measured in the spine and the hip. The number of fractures having occurred in the cohort studied was recorded.

Bone mineral density in the spine as assessed by T score was −1.9±0.11 (mean±SEM) and in the left hip −2.6±0.11. In the cohort of patients studied 19 patients (20.88%), 15 female and 4 male, suffered a fracture. The fractures recorded were 8 vertebral, 7 distal radius, 2 tarsal joint, 2 rib fractures and 1 fracture of the calcaneus. Within the cohort studied 2 patients had suffered two fractures, a distal radius and a vertebral and a rib and a vertebral fracture, respectively.

It appears that in the modern real world setting despite the measures taken for osteoporosis prevention and management in a cohort of patients being followed up within a center of excellence in Athens, fractures tend to occur especially in the female population. However, interestingly, within the cohort studied many patients with osteoporosis remained free of fracture at the point of time of the study.