OSTEOPOROSIS RISK-FACTORS, GYNECOLOGICAL HISTORY AND FRACTURES IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - THE RESULTS OF THE BASE-LINE POSTAL INQUIRY OF THEKUOPIO OSTEOPOROSIS RISK FACTOR AND PREVENTION STUDY

The Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention (OSTPRE) Study exam ines the risk factors of osteoporosis, the relationship of risk factor s to bone density and fractures, as well as the possibility to prevent bone loss by administering certain hormones. The baseline postal enqu iry in 1989 was sent to all the 14 220 women aged 47-56 years residing in the Kuopio Province, Finland. The questionnaire included questions about their gynaecological history, physical exercise and smoking hab its, calcium intake, body weight and height, history of bone fractures , health disorders, their current and previous use of drugs, as well a s their willingness to participate in bone densitometry and in a clini cal hormone trial. The response rate was 92.8%. In all, 56% reported s ome previous use of female hormones. Strong contraindications for oest rogen replacement therapy were found in 9.3% of the women. Almost half of the respondents reported lack of regular physical exercise, 11.9% were smokers, and 17.0% reported a calcium intake from milk products o f less than 500 mg daily. The incidence of fractures increased steadil y with age. The incidence of premenopausal fractures within the last 1 0 years was 7.65 per 1000 person/years and that of postmenopausal frac tures was 17.40 per 1000 person/years (P = 0.000). The effect of menop ause on fracture incidence was stronger than the effect of a 5-year ag e increase. Of the respondents. 84.4% were willing to participate in b one densitometry and 68.3% for long-term prevention of osteoporosis wi th oestrogen.