FRAX TM: construindo uma ideia para o Brasil

RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FRACTURE OF THE LUMBOSACRAL SPINE AND ITS COMPROMISE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF CIRRHOTICS

ABSTRACT Background Chronic hepatic disease is associated with osteoporosis, osteopenia or osteomalacia. Osteoporosis and fractures due to bone fragility present high prevalences and are more frequent in patients with liver cirrhosis than in the general population. The search for a diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis in this population may allow early intervention and modify unfavorable outcomes. Objective To know the prevalence of osteopenia or osteoporosis and of fracture due to bone fragility in individuals with liver cirrhosis, the associated risk factors, and its compromise in their quality of life (QoL). Methods Observational, transversal study performed with 71 liver cirrhosis patients of the Hepatology Service of the Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil, between July 2017 and December 2018. The patients were submitted to bone densitometry (DXA) of the lumbar spine and of the femoral neck, to x-ray of the lumbosacral spine and to the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) for the evaluation of quality of life (QoL). The Fracture Risk Assessment (FRAX) major was calculated for patients >50 years old. The analyses were performed for the evaluation of the risk factors associated with lumbosacral spine fracture. Results The majority (62%) of the 71 evaluated patients was diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia on DXA. Of the 44 patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis, 52.3% were female, with a mean age of 62.6±9.51 years old, with the majority (72.7%) being Child A, cirrhotics of alcoholic etiology (36.4%), and with an intermediate QoL according to the CLDQ (3.3). Regarding the patients with lumbosacral spine fracture, the mean age was 61.6±11.1 years old, 60% were female, most of them Child A (66.7%), of alcoholic etiology (46.7%), and with an intermediary QoL according to the CLDQ (3.5). The presence of osteopenia and/or osteoporosis was associated with lumbosacral fracture (P<0.001), without correlation with the other analyzed variables: age, body mass index, gender, presence and absence of ascites, Child-Pugh classification, vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus serum concentration, cirrhosis etiology and FRAX major. Conclusion The prevalence of hepatic osteodystrophy was high, and the occurrence of lumbosacral spine fracture was more associated with osteoporosis and/or osteopenia among the cirrhotic patients studied. The QoL was intermediate and with no differences between cirrhotics with and without fracture.

Epidemiology of low-energy fracture in Chinese postmenopausal women: changing trend of incidence since menopause and associated risk factors, a national population-based survey

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to report the incidence of low-energy fracture since menopause in postmenopausal women ≤70 years and to explore associated risk factors METHODS:: This was a part of the Chinese National Fracture Survey (CNFS), which was carried out in eight provinces of China mainland between January and May 2015. Data on 68,783 postmenopausal women ≤70 years were extracted from the CNFS database for calculations and analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 309 women were confirmed to have low-energy fractures in 2014, indicating the incidence of 449.2 (95% CI, 399.3-499.2) per 100,000 women. There were two obvious peaks of fracture incidence at the 4th year and the 9th year since menopause. From the 10th year on, the fracture incidence rate presented the relatively steady trends over years, only with slight interannual fluctuation. After adjustment for confounding variables, advanced age, higher latitude, milk intake ≥1/d, residence ≥2nd floor without elevator, alcohol consumption, sleep duration <7 h/d, history of past fracture, and more births were identified as significant risk factors. Supplementation of calcium or vitamin D or both was associated with 44% of fracture reduction (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37-0.84).

CONCLUSIONS

These data on low-energy fractures in postmenopausal women provided an updated clinical evidence base for better national healthcare planning and preventive efforts in China.

Unhealthy lifestyles are associated with the increased risk of low-energy fracture in Chinese men ≥ 50 years, a population-based survey

PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate the incidence of low-energy fractures in men aged 50 years and older in China and to explore associated risk factors.

METHODS

All the relevant data were available from the China National Fracture Survey (CNFS), which was a cross-sectional survey carried out in eight Chinese provinces (municipalities) between January and May 2015.

RESULTS

Through 2014, 76,687 men above 50 years participated in this study and 223 participants had low-energy fractures, indicating the incidence rate 290.8 (95%CI, 252.7-328.9)/100,000 men. Over 80% of the fractures occurred at home and on the common road. The fracture incidence rate presented a significant rising trend with advanced age (p = 0.039). Current smoking, alcohol overconsumption, insufficient sleep duration, and history of past fracture were identified as significant risk factors associated with low-energy fracture (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results will assist the decisions regarding allocation of healthcare provision to populations of greatest need and aid the design and implementation of strategies to reduce fracture incidence. Accordingly, individuals should be encouraged to reduce alcohol consumption, immediately quit smoking, and get sufficient sleep, especially in those with a history of past fracture. In addition, primary preventives especially home prevention should be emphasized.

Asymptomatic vertebral fractures in patients with low bone mineral density

OBJECTIVE

Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) is a test technique that can be used to detect asymptomatic vertebral fractures (AVF). It uses dual energy X-ray bsorptiometry (DXA) and can be performed concurrently with bone densitometry. This study aims to assess the prevalence of AVF in patients with low bone mass.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study including 135 individuals with low bone mineral density (BMD) with a T-score < -2.0 standard deviation (SD) in a densitometry clinic located in the city of Blumenau (state of Santa Catarina). Anthropometric, clinical and lifestyle variables were obtained from history-taking and physical examination. Densitometric variables were obtained by bone mineral densitometry and VFA (Explorer, Hollogic®). Vertebral fractures were classified according to the Genant criteria. Student's t, chi-square and logistic regression were performed for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

AVFs occurred in 24.4% of the subjects. They were older compared to those without AVF (65±9.25 versus 60.1±8.66; p=0.005), and had a history of lowimpact fractures (38.24% versus 19.8%; OR 2.5; p=0.03). Half of the patients that reported steroid therapy had AVFs, compared to one fifth of those who did not use steroids (50% versus 21.49%; OR 3.6; p=0.01).

CONCLUSION

Asymptomatic vertebral fractures were present in approximately one fourth of patients. The risk factors associated were history of low-impact fracture, use of steroids and age > 61 years.

Correlation between osteoporotic fracture risk in Brazilian postmenopausal women calculated using the FRAX with and without the inclusion of bone densitometry data

The risks of fracture were calculated in 402 postmenopausal Brazilian women by FRAX with or without the inclusion of bone densitometry values. The correlation between the risk of major osteoporosis fracture or hip fracture calculated by FRAX with or without BMD was similar in this population, 0.76 and 0.64, respectively.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to evaluate the degree of agreement between the 10-year fracture risk in postmenopausal Brazilian women, calculated using the WHO Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX)-Brazil, with and without the inclusion of bone mineral density (BMD) values.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 402 postmenopausal women (≥40 years) who had undergone bone densitometry prior to initiating any pharmacological treatment for osteopenia or osteoporosis. The risks of a major osteoporosis fracture or hip fracture were calculated according to FRAX-Brazil either using clinical risk factors alone or with the inclusion of BMD value. The tests used were intraclass correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney test, and univariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

When the patients were classified according to the cutoff point defined as determining a high risk of a major osteoporosis fracture (≥20 %), 0.75 % were defined as high risk when BMD values were included and 1 % when they were not. With respect to the hip, 5.22 % were defined as having a high risk of fracture (≥3 %) when BMD values were included and 11.44 % when they were not. Intraclass correlation coefficient between the FRAX-Brazil assessed risk with and without the inclusion of BMD values was 0.76 (95 % CI 0.716-0.799) for a major osteoporosis fracture and 0.64 (95 %CI 0.583-0.698) for a hip fracture.

CONCLUSION

The correlation found for the FRAX-Brazil score obtained with and without the inclusion of BMD values was good for the risk of a major osteoporosis fracture and moderate for the risk of a hip fracture. The fracture risk calculated was similar in this population irrespective of whether or not BMD values were included in the algorithm.

Factors associated with osteoporosis in Brazilian women: a population-based household survey

The aging of Brazilian population has been well-documented. A longer time since menopause, poor self-perception of health, and having arthrosis and balance problems are factors associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Poor self-perception of health, menopausal treatment with natural remedies, smoking, and decreased functional capacity are associated with early onset of the disease.

PURPOSE

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis and its associated factors in Brazilian women over 50 years of age and to obtain information on factors related to the early onset of the disease.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with 622 women over 50 years of age residing in Campinas/Brazil was conducted between May 10 and October 31, 2011 in the form of a population survey. A questionnaire was applied by trained interviewers. Osteoporosis was classified either as self-reported or as osteoporosis diagnosed by bone densitometry. Statistical analysis was carried out by chi-square test, Poisson regression analysis, and Cox multiple regression model.

RESULTS

The mean age of the women was 64.1 years. The prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis was 21.3 %. A longer time since menopause (prevalence ratios (PR), 1.04; 95 % CI, 1.03-1.05; p < 0.001); self-perception of health as fair/poor/very poor (PR, 1.73; 95 % CI, 1.29-2.33; p < 0.001); having arthrosis (PR, 1.83; 95 % CI, 1.30-2.59; p < 0.002) and having problems maintaining balance when taking a bath or going down stairs (PR, 1.52; 95 % CI, 1.07-2.14; p = 0.020) were associated with osteoporosis. The variables associated with early onset of the disease were: self-perception of health as fair/poor/very poor (coefficient, 0.77; p < 0.001), menopausal treatment with natural remedies (coefficient, 1.01; p < 0.001), smoking or having smoked >20 cigarettes/day (coefficient, 1.02; p = 0.003), and problems in running/lifting something heavy/practicing sports/doing heavy work (coefficient, 0.60; p = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study have improved understanding of the factors associated with osteoporosis in the Brazilian population and may help identify those women who should undergo bone densitometry.

Development and validation of a tool for identifying women with low bone mineral density and low-impact fractures: the São Paulo Osteoporosis Risk Index (SAPORI)

The performance of the São Paulo Osteoporosis Risk Index (SAPORI) was tested in 1,915 women from the original cohort, São Paulo Osteoporosis Study (SAPOS) (N = 4332). This new tool was able to identify women with low bone density (spine and hip) and low-impact fracture, with an area under the receiving operator curve (ROC) of 0.831, 0.724, and 0.689, respectively.

INTRODUCTION

A number of studies have demonstrated the clinical relevance of risk factors for identifying individuals at risk of fracture (Fx) and osteoporosis (OP). The SAPOS is an epidemiological study for the assessment of risk factors for Fx and low bone density in women from the community of the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a tool for identifying women at higher risk for OP and low-impact Fx.

METHODS

A total of 4,332 pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women were analyzed through a questionnaire addressing risk factors for OP and Fx. All of them performed bone densitometry at the lumbar spine and proximal femur (DPX NT, GE-Lunar). Following the identification of the main risk factors for OP and Fx through multivariate and logistic regression, respectively, the SAPORI was designed and subsequently validated on a second cohort of 1,915 women from the metropolitan community of São Paulo. The performance of this tool was assessed through ROC analysis.

RESULTS

The main and significant risk factors associated with low bone density and low-impact Fx were low body weight, advanced age, Caucasian ethnicity, family history of hip Fx, current smoking, and chronic use of glucocorticosteroids. Hormonal replacement therapy and regular physical activity in the previous year played a protective role (p < 0.05). After the statistical adjustments, the SAPORI was able to identify women with low bone density (T-score ≤ -2 standard deviations) in the femur, with 91.4% sensitivity, 52% specificity, and an area under the ROC of 0.831 (p < 0.001). At the lumbar spine, the performance was similar (81.5% sensitivity, 50% specificity, and area under ROC of 0.724; p < 0.001). Regarding the identification of low-impact Fx, the sensitivity was 71%, the specificity was 52%, and the area under the ROC was 0.689 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The SAPORI is a simple, useful, fast, practice, and valid tool for identifying women at higher risk for low bone density and osteoporotic fractures.

Risk factors for osteoporotic fractures and low bone density in pre and postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence and analyze risk factors associated to osteoporosis and low-trauma fracture in women.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study including a total of 4,332 women older than 40 attending primary care services in the Greater São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2004 and 2007. Anthropometrical and gynecological data and information about lifestyle habits, previous fracture, medical history, food intake and physical activity were obtained through individual quantitative interviews. Low-trauma fracture was defined as that resulting from a fall from standing height or less in individuals 50 years or older. Multiple logistic regression models were designed having osteoporotic fracture and bone mineral density (BMD) as the dependent variables and all other parameters as the independent ones. The significance level was set at p<0.05.

RESULTS

The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures was 33% and 11.5%, respectively. The main risk factors associated with low bone mass were age (OR=1.07; 95% CI: 1.06;1.08), time since menopause (OR=2.16; 95% CI: 1.49;3.14), previous fracture (OR=2.62; 95% CI: 2.08;3.29) and current smoking (OR=1.45; 95% CI: 1.13;1.85). BMI (OR=0.88; 95% CI: 0.86;0.89), regular physical activity (OR=0.78; 95% CI: 0.65;0.94) and hormone replacement therapy (OR=0.43; 95% CI: 0.33;0.56) had a protective effect on bone mass. Risk factors significantly associated with osteoporotic fractures were age (OR=1.05; 95% CI: 1.04;1.06), time since menopause (OR=4.12; 95% CI: 1.79;9.48), familial history of hip fracture (OR=3.59; 95% CI: 2.88;4.47) and low BMD (OR=2.28; 95% CI: 1.85;2.82).

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced age, menopause, low-trauma fracture and current smoking are major risk factors associated with low BMD and osteoporotic fracture. The clinical use of these parameters to identify women at higher risk for fractures might be a reasonable strategy to improve the management of osteoporosis.

Fracture risk assessment in Latin America: is Frax an adaptable instrument for the region?

Osteoporosis is a generalized disease of bone that increases fracture risk. Multiple factors influence this risk, besides low bone mass. To decrease osteoporotic fractures, those patients who require preventive management should be readily identified. This paper aims to review current information on the use of the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) in Latin America. Bone mineral density measurement is currently the method of reference for evaluating the fracture risk and opting for treatment; but, it misses a notable proportion of individuals who have clinical risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures. FRAX was designed to predict the 10-year absolute risk of sustaining a major osteoporotic fracture or a hip fracture. Although data is available for several countries, from Latin America, only Argentina appears in the current version of the tool. Its present use in other Latin American countries is possible with some adaptations based in similarities of epidemiological information of each country with some of the existing databases. The cutoff value beyond which treatment should be initiated needs to be determined, based not only on clinical criteria, but also on economic considerations.

Epidemiology of osteoporotic fractures in Brazil: what we have and what we need

The epidemiology of osteoporotic fractures varies widely among countries and is primarily related to differences in the population and utilization of public healthcare services. Since 1994, over 200 studies about osteoporosis and fractures have been conducted in Brazil, among which 60 have described the current epidemiological status. This work is a compilation of studies published in scientific journals (PubMed, MedLine, Lilacs, SciELO Database) with the respective highlights. Overall, these studies show moderate incidence of hip fracture in subjects over 50 years old. However, the prevalence of all types of bone fragility fracture is higher, ranging from 11% to 23.8%. In addition, there is a high incidence of recurrent falls, which are the main extra-skeletal factor associated with these fractures. According to the national studies, 12 months after femoral fractures, the mortality rate ranged between 21.5% and 30%, and there was also a high rate of physical impairment, deterioration of the quality of life and excessive burden to the healthcare system. Considering its high prevalence and associated mortality and physical impairment, osteoporosis and its main consequence, bone fragility fractures, must be considered a major public health problem in our country.