Fracture risk according to body mass index and age in healthy elder women of Córdoba city

Abstract

Fracture risk after a fall is increased exponentially by age and female sex.

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between fracture risk, body mass index and age in healthy elder women from Córdoba city..

Population study: 87 healthy elder women (EW) aged ≥60, who attended to senior/day‑care-centers in Córdoba. Variables: Fracture Risk (FR): Major osteroporotic and hip: Low and high. Body Mass Index (BMI = kg/m2) normal weight, overweight, obesity; Age (years old): 60-69, 70-79, ≥80. Instruments: FRAX/WHO questionnaire. Statistical analysis: Chi-square.

Major osteoporotic fracture risk (MOFR): In EW the low MOFR (85.1%) and high Hip Fracture Risk (HFR) (73.6%) categories prevailed. Frequent clinical factors: Secondary osteoporosis (32.2%), previous fractures (25.3%) and parents with hip fracture (13.8%). Age factor related, the lower risk ratio was higher within younger EW groups, while higher risk was increased with age (p=0.0076). No statistically significant association was found between BMI and MOFR (p >0.05). However, among EW with BMI ≥25 kg/m2, the higher MOFR was increased by higher levels of BMI; the opposite happened with lower risk percentages.

Hip Fracture Risk (HFR): Among EW between 60-69 years old, percentages of low/high risk were similar (54.2% and 45.8% respectively). In those aged between 70-79, the high risk ratio was increased to 78.3%, reaching 100% in those aged 80 years old and over. This risk represents more than twice the percentage, compared to the younger EW group. These results were statistically significant (p=0.0003).

Body Mass Index (BMI): As BMI values were increased, the frequency of high HFR decreased, this result was also statistically significant (p 0.0100).

In conclusion, most of the studied women presented overweight, low major osteroporotic fracture risk and high hip fracture risk. The major osteroporotic fracture risk was associated with age whereas hip fracture risk was related to age and BMI.