Prevalence of osteoporosis risk factors and treatment among women aged 50 years and older

We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective review to evaluate screening, diagnosis, and treatment of 359 women aged 50 years or older at risk for o steoporosis in a large primary care practice. Records randomly selected fro m a computerized database were reviewed for drug history, age, height, weig ht, and osteoporosis-related diagnoses, symptoms, and risk factors. Among t he 389 women, 255 (65.5%) were receiving bone-preserving treatment (247 est rogen replacement exclusively). Most (70.4%) were white, with an average ag e of 61 years, and an average of 3.3 risk factors for osteoporosis. Risk fa ctors were postmenopausal status 94%, age 65 years or older 53%, hysterecto my 39%, cigarette smoking 33%, and physical inactivity 30%. By logistic reg ression, the only positive predictor of antiresorptive therapy was hysterec tomy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54-4.1 4). Negative predictors were, physical inactivity (AOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25-0. 71), rheumatoid arthritis (AOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.12-0.79), and age 65 years an d older (AOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34-0.86). Controlling for age, women with four or more risk factors were 62% less likely to be receiving antiresorptive tr eatment (AOR 0.38, 95% CI 0.23-0.64) than those with fewer risk factors.