Management of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis by Moroccan General Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: Despite the existence of effective treatments and prescribed therapeutic protocols, there is a lack of management of osteoporosis, resulting in increased secondary morbidity and mortality. The general practitioner (GP) is the first-line practitioner for the detection and management of osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore the practices, knowledge, and difficulties in postmenopausal osteoporosis management reported by GPs. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire (19 questions) was created via Google Forms and distributed to 300 GPs via social networks (WhatsApp, Facebook, and Gmail). The survey results were automatically calculated on "Google Forms" and checked using SPSS.20 software. RESULTS: A total of 129 responses were received, representing a response rate of 43%. The majority of respondents were women (67.2%). The definition of osteoporosis was variable, with 51.6% defining it as a T-score of ≤-2.5 SD, 25.8% defining it as diffuse bone demineralization, and 12.1% defining it as a fracture after falling with low energy. Prolonged corticosteroid therapy was the most commonly indicated reason for measuring bone mineral density (BMD) (81.39%). The calcium phosphate balance was the most requested (90.1%). Vitamin D and calcium supplementation were reported by 74.41% and 54.26% of GPs, respectively. Fracture of the upper end of the femur was the main therapeutic indication (65.11%). Most GPs surveyed (73.3%) were unfamiliar with the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Most of the GPs gave advice on fall prevention to their patients (83.72%), and 62.5% of GPs monitored their patients' height. Anti-osteoporosis treatment was maintained for 3 to 5 years by 44.96% of GPs. CONCLUSION: Our survey found that the practices and knowledge of GPs on osteoporosis vary widely and often deviate from the recommended standards. This highlights the need for more excellent education of GPs, due to their vital role in the management of osteoporosis.

Predictors of osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis.

Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million women worldwide, with postmenopausal women being particularly susceptible to this condition and its severe sequelae disproportionately, such as osteoporotic fractures. To date, the current focus has been more on symptomatic treatment, rather than preventive measures. To address this, we performed a meta-analysis aiming to identify potential predictors of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women, with the ultimate goal of identifying high-risk patients and exploring potential therapeutic approaches. We searched Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane with search terms (postmenopausal AND fracture) AND ("risk factor" OR "predictive factor") in May 2022 for cohort and case-control studies on the predictors of osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women. Ten studies with 1,287,021 postmenopausal women were found eligible for analyses, in which the sample size ranged from 311 to 1,272,115. The surveyed date spanned from 1993 to 2021. Our results suggested that age, BMI, senior high school and above, parity ≥ 3, history of hypertension, history of diabetes mellitus, history of alcohol intake, age at menarche ≥ 15, age at menopause < 40, age at menopause > 50, estrogen use and vitamin D supplements were significantly associated with osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women. Our findings facilitate the early prediction of osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women and may contribute to potential therapeutic approaches. By focusing on preventive strategies and identifying high-risk individuals, we can work toward reducing the burden of osteoporosis-related fractures in this vulnerable population.

Risk factors of osteoporosis and osteopenia in postmenopausal women based on the L2-L4 BMD T score of the lumbar spine: a study in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors of osteoporosis and osteopenia of the spine in postmenopausal women. METHOD: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed on postmenopausal women. The T-score of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) was measured by densitometry and compared between osteoporotic, osteopenia, and normal women. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred fify-nine postmenopausal women were evaluated. The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis was 58.2% and 12.8% respectively. Age, BMI, parity, total breastfeeding years, dairy use, calcium-D supplements, and regular exercise were significantly different in women with osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal women. Ethnicity, diabetes, and previous fracture history were only other among women with osteoporosis (not osteopenia) and normal women. For osteopenia of the spine, age [AOR 1.08 (1.05-1.11; p < .001)] was the risk factor, and BMI = >30 [AOR 0.36 (0.28-0.58; p < .001)] and BMI 25-<30 [AOR 0.55 (0.34-0.88; p = .012)] were protective factors. Hyperthyroidism (AOR 23.43, p = .010), Kurdish ethnicity (AOR 2.96, p = .009), not having regular exercise (AOR 2.22, p = .012), previous fracture history (AOR 2.15, p = .041)], and age (AOR 1.14, p < .001)], were risk factors for osteoporosis, while BMI ≥30 [AOR 0.09, p < .001], BMI 25-<30 [AOR 0.28, p = .001], and diabetes [AOR 0.41, p = .038] were protective factors for osteoporosis of the spine. CONCLUSION: Hyperthyroidism, low BMI <25, parity ≥ 6, Kurdish ethnicity, not having regular exercise, history of previous fracture, and age, were risk factors for osteoporosis of the spine respectively, while low BMI and age were risk factors for osteopenia.

Osteoporosis among Postmenopausal Women in Jordan: A National Cross-Sectional Study.

Osteoporosis is considered a widespread health problem that affects senior citizens, particularly older women, after the menopause. This national study aimed to estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis among Jordanian postmenopausal women and to determine the association of demographic and nutritional factors, such as calcium and vitamin D supplement intake, with osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 884 postmenopausal women aged ≥50 years. A multistage sampling technique was used to select participants from three geographic regions of Jordan (north, middle, and south). The data were collected from the participants by a team of field researchers comprising men and women through a standard questionnaire. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 19.8% among postmenopausal Jordanian women. The study results showed that age (p ˂ 0.001), geographic region (p = 0.019), occupation (p = 0.002), and educational level (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with osteoporosis. Moreover, osteoporosis was significantly associated with calcium and vitamin D supplement intake (p < 0.05). There is a high prevalence of osteoporosis among postmenopausal Jordanian women. Therefore, there is a need to educate women at this age, and probably at an earlier age, to prevent or reduce the development of osteoporosis.

Characteristics of Long-Term Femoral Neck Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A 25-Year Follow-Up.

The aim of this study was to monitor long-term changes in bone mineral density (BMD) after menopause and factors affecting BMD. The study population consisted of a random sample of 3222 women from the Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention (OSTPRE) study, of which 62.1% were postmenopausal at the beginning of the study. This group of women underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements at the femoral neck every 5 years from baseline (in 1989) up to 25-year follow-up. They also responded to risk-factor questionnaires at 5-year intervals. During the 25-year follow-up, the baseline cohort decreased to 686 women. The women were divided into quartiles based on their baseline BMD. Self-reported hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and corticosteroid use were divided into ever users and never users. Morbidity was assessed as the total number of self-reported diseases and BMD-affecting diseases. The mean 25-year BMD change was found to be -10.1%, p < 0.001. Higher baseline BMD was associated with higher bone loss rate; the reduction in the highest quartile BMD was 11.1% and in the lowest quartile 7.4% (p = 0.0031). Lower baseline body mass index (BMI) and a greater increase in BMI were found to protect against postmenopausal bone loss (p < 0.001). The lowest bone loss quartile included 15.2% more HRT users than the highest bone loss quartile (p = 0.004). The number of diseases/bone-affecting diseases, use of vitamin D/calcium supplementation, use of corticosteroids, smoking or alcohol use had no statistical significance for annual bone loss rate. This study presents hitherto the longest (25-year) BMD follow-up in postmenopausal women. The linear femoral neck bone loss of 10% was less than previously assumed. A 5-year BMD change appeared to predict long-term bone loss in postmenopausal women. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Trends in postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment in France during the period 2007-2016: A nationwide claims database analysis.

PURPOSE: To describe the trends in the pharmacological management of postmenopausal osteoporosis in France during the period 2007-2016. METHOD: This cross-sectional, yearly repeated study of patients in France used the nationwide claims database 'Échantillon Généraliste de Bénéficiaires' (EGB), covering a 1 in 97 representative sample of approximately 600,000 individuals insured by the main French public insurance scheme. For women aged 50-89 years, prescriptions for all anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs) marketed in France during the study period (bisphosphonates alone or used in combination with calcium, selective estrogen receptor modulators, strontium ranelate, teriparatide or denosumab) were identified in each calendar year. Initiation of any AOM in a calendar year was defined by the absence of a prescription for any AOM within the 2 previous calendar years. Incidence was calculated for all AOM prescriptions and initial prescriptions for AOM. RESULTS: Marked changes were observed in the rates of women receiving any AOM, with a slight increase from 2007 to 2009 (from 10.22 to 10.42 per 100 patient-years [PY]), then a plateau in 2009-2010, followed by a rapid and more than twofold decrease until 2016 (from 10.39 to 5.02 per 100 PY). The decrease in the overall rate of women initiating an AOM showed a rapid halving from 2007 to 2012 (from 2.56 to 1.15 per 100 PY), followed by a plateau in the range of 0.90-1.0 per 100 PY during the period 2013-2016. In contrast, the use of calcium/vitamin D has been rapidly increasing as the only prevention and exclusive intervention for postmenopausal osteoporosis, from 10.6% of women in 2007 to 47.7% in 2016. The profile of patients initiating AOM changed substantially over the 10-year period. Despite a stable mean age of approximately 69 years, an increasing proportion of women with severe chronic comorbidities (from 34.9% to 43.3%), history of fractures (from 7.8% to 13.3%) or high-dose steroid use (from 2.9% to 8.4%) was observed. The decline of AOM initiation was associated with a marked reduction of prescriptions during the study period: by 64.2% for primary care physicians; by 36.7% for specialty doctors; and by 18.4% for rheumatologists. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a general trend toward an AOM uptake that is increasingly limited to a fraction of patients who are at high risk of fractures. In the context of an aging population and declining prescription rates for AOM, these data highlight an increasing treatment gap among women in France with osteoporosis, which is similar to that seen in other European countries and in the USA.

Associations of Age at Menopause With Postmenopausal Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Risk in Women.

CONTEXT: Menopause before age 45 is a risk factor for fractures, but menopause occurs at age ≥45 in ~90% of women. OBJECTIVE: To determine, in women with menopause at age ≥45, whether (1) years since the final menstrual period (FMP) is more strongly associated with postmenopausal bone mineral density (BMD) than chronological age and (2) lower age at FMP is related to more fractures. DESIGN AND SETTING: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, a longitudinal cohort study of the menopause transition (MT). PARTICIPANTS: A diverse cohort of ambulatory women (pre- or early perimenopausal at baseline, with 15 near-annual follow-up assessments). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postmenopausal lumbar spine (LS) or femoral neck (FN) BMD (n = 1038) and time to fracture (n = 1554). RESULTS: Adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), cigarette use, alcohol intake, baseline LS or FN BMD, baseline MT stage, and study site using multivariable linear regression, each additional year after the FMP was associated with 0.006 g/cm2 (P < 0.0001) and 0.004 g/cm2 (P < 0.0001) lower postmenopausal LS and FN BMD, respectively. Age was not related to FN BMD independent of years since FMP. In Cox proportional hazards regression, accounting for race/ethnicity, BMI, cigarette use, alcohol intake, prior fracture, diabetes status, exposure to bone-modifying medications/supplements, and study site, the hazard for incident fracture was 5% greater for each 1-year decrement in age at FMP (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Years since the FMP is more strongly associated with postmenopausal BMD than chronological age, and earlier menopause is associated with more fractures.

Relationship between Regular Green Tea Intake and Osteoporosis in Korean Postmenopausal Women: A Nationwide Study.

Mixed results have been reported regarding whether habitual tea intake affects bone health. This study investigated the relationship between green tea intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2008 to 2011 and divided the participants into three groups according to their frequency of green tea intake over the past 12 months. BMD of the lumbar spine, total femur, and femur neck was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of osteoporosis and osteopenia according to green tea consumption were analyzed. Participants who did not consume green tea or consumed less than one cup per day were more likely to have osteopenia of the lumbar spine or femur than those who consumed it once to three times a day (OR 1.81 and 1.85, 95% CI, 1.20-2.71; and 1.23-2.77). Moreover, ORs for osteoporosis were 1.91 (95% CI 1.13-3.23) and 1.82 (95% CI 1.09-3.05) in non-consumers and consumers who drank less than one cup per day, respectively, compared with the reference group. These results support that green tea consumption may have benefits on bone health.

Feasibility of an interprofessional collaborative osteoporosis screening programme in Malaysia.

Background Population screening for osteoporosis using bone mineral density scan is not feasible in Malaysia as this test is costly. Hence, there is a need to develop a more efficient method to screen for osteoporosis.Objectives To determine the feasibility of an interprofessional collaborative osteoporosis screening programme (IPC-OSP). Methods Postmenopausal women aged ≥ 50 years, who had not been diagnosed with osteoporosis were recruited from a primary care clinic from June to August 2014. Patients were assessed for their osteoporosis risk and were counselled on prevention methods. Patients at risk were referred to the doctor with a recommendation for a bone mineral density (BMD) scan. Results Fifty out of 55 patients were recruited (response rate = 90.9%). A total 26/50 (52.0%) went for a bone mineral density scan, none were osteoporotic, 17/50 (34%) were osteopenic, 2/50 (4.0%), were started on osteoporosis medications and 14/50 (28%) modified their lifestyle to improve bone health or started on calcium supplements. Osteoporosis knowledge significantly increased from baseline to month two (46.3 ± 21.4 vs. 79.1 ± 14.3, p < 0.001). Patients had a satisfaction score of 89.8 ± 12.4. Follow-up rates were 83.9% and 100% at months 1 (BMD appointment) and 2 (phone follow up), respectively. The intervention was successfully coordinated. Data entry was determined to be viable based on the researchers' experience. Conclusion The interprofessional collaborative osteoporosis screening programme was found to be feasible in Malaysia.

Role of vitamin K2 in bone metabolism: a point of view and a short reappraisal of the literature.

Vitamin K2 (vit K2) belongs to a large group of fat-soluble compounds whose formulation is MK (menaquinone) (MK-2 to MK-14), that seem to be involved in different biological functions. In particular, vit K2 has been recently recognized as efficacious and safe in treatment of bone loss, as it contributes to structural integrity of osteocalcin (OC), the major non-collagenous protein typically found in bone matrix. Several studies proved low vit K2 intake is linked to bone loss and to increased fracture risk in both sexes. Nowadays, vit K2 supplementation is considered a significant manner to enhance the association of calcium and vitamin D whose role on bone health is largely recognized. On the other hand, vit K2 may be used alone or with other drugs to preserve bone quality/strength from skeletal degradation after menopause and/or in patients affected by secondary osteoporosis. In this paper, we review the most recent data about vit K2 on skeleton.

Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis consume high amounts of vegetables but insufficient dairy products and calcium to benefit from their virtues: the CoLaus/OsteoLaus cohort.

We evaluated the associations between nutrients, dietary patterns or compliance to dietary guidelines and bone health among postmenopausal women from the CoLaus/OsteoLaus cohort. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis consume a high amount of vegetables but insufficient amount of dairy products and calcium to benefit from their adherence to dietary guidelines. INTRODUCTION: Diet plays a significant role in the prevention of osteoporosis (OP). We evaluated the associations between nutrients, dietary patterns or compliance (expressed in odds of meeting) to dietary Swiss guidelines and bone health (T score < - 2.5 SD, TBS < 1230) among postmenopausal women. METHODS: One thousand two hundred fifteen women (64.3 ± 7.5 years) from the CoLaus/OsteoLaus cohort (Lausanne, Switzerland) had their dietary intake assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS) and vertebral fractures were evaluated with DXA. OP risk factors, calcium supplements (> 500 mg) and prevalent major OP fractures were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred eighty of 1195 women had OP according to BMD, 87/1185 a low TBS and 141/1215 prevalent major OP fractures. In multivariate analysis (adjusted for total energy intake, age, antiosteoporotic treatment, educational level, BMI, sedentary status and diabetes), OP women consumed more vegetable proteins (21.3 ± 0.4 vs 19.6 ± 0.2 g/day), more fibres (18.2 ± 0.5 vs 16.5 ± 0.2 g/day), less animal proteins (40.0 ± 1.1 vs 42.8 ± 0.4 g/day), less calcium (928 ± 30 vs 1010 ± 12 mg/day) and less dairy products (175 ± 12 vs 215 ± 5 g/day), all p ≤ 0.02. According to guidelines, OP women had a tendency to higher compliance for vegetables (OR (95% CI) 1.50 (0.99-2.26)) and a lower compliance for dairy (OR (95% CI) 0.44 (0.22-0.86)) than those without OP. Women taking calcium supplements consumed significantly higher amounts of dairy products. No association was found between TBS values or prevalent OP fractures and any dietary components. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women with OP consume a high amount of vegetables but insufficient amount of dairy products and calcium. TBS does not seem to be influenced by diet.

Trabecular Bone Score Is a Useful Parameter for the Prediction of Vertebral Fractures in Patients With Polymyalgia Rheumatica.

INTRODUCTION: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), a benign rheumatic disorder, requires long-term glucocorticoid therapy, which could be associated with osteoporosis. In the present study, we compared bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS) and frequencies of vertebral fracture (VF) among patients with PMR or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls. METHODS: Fifty-three postmenopausal women with PMR aged 50 yr or older were eligible for inclusion in this study. Subjects in RA (n = 106) and control (n = 106) groups were selected by propensity score matching with controlling age, body mass index and use of anti-osteoporotic agents. RESULTS: The frequency of VF in patients with PMR (30.2%) was significantly higher than those in patients with RA (13.2 %) and controls (13.2%, p = 0.017). The mean TBS of patients with PMR (1.317 ± 0.092) was significantly lower than those of patients with RA (1.336 ± 0.089) and the controls (1.373 ± 0.073, p < 0.001). In receiver operating characteristic analysis for VF in patients with PMR, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.759 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.601-0.918, p < 0.001) for TBS and 0.618 (95% CI = 0.442-0.795, p < 0.001) for L-spine BMD. The AUCs were 0.760 (95% CI = 0.630-0.891, p ≤ 0.001) and 0.767 (95% CI 0.627-0.907, p < 0.001) for femur neck and total hip BMD, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified the factor associated with VF of patients with PMR as a lower TBS (Odds ratio: 0.000, 95% CI: 0.000, 0.754, p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: TBS could be a supplementary tool for discriminating osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal patients with PMR.

Lipoprotein(a) plasma levels, bone mineral density and risk of hip fracture: a post hoc analysis of the Women's Health Initiative, USA.

OBJECTIVES: Elevated Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, its roles in bone metabolism and fracture risk are unclear. We therefore investigated whether plasma Lp(a) levels were associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and incident hip fractures in a large cohort of postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), USA. SETTING: 40 clinical centres in the USA. PARTICIPANTS: The current analytical cohort consisted of 9698 white, postmenopausal women enrolled in the WHI, a national prospective study investigating determinants of chronic diseases including heart disease, breast and colorectal cancers and osteoporotic fractures among postmenopausal women. Recruitment for WHI took place from 1 October 1993 to 31 December 1998. EXPOSURES: Plasma Lp(a) levels were measured at baseline. OUTCOME MEASURES: Incident hip fractures were ascertained annually and confirmed by medical records with follow-up through 29 August 2014. BMD at the femoral neck was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry in a subset of participants at baseline. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations of quartiles of plasma Lp(a) levels with hip fracture events and hip BMD T-score, respectively. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 13.8 years, 454 incident cases of hip fracture were observed. In analyses adjusting for confounding variables including age, body mass index, history of hysterectomy, smoking, physical activity, diabetes mellitus, general health status, cardiovascular disease, use of menopausal hormone therapy, use of bisphosphonates, calcitonin or selective-oestrogen receptor modulators, baseline dietary and supplemental calcium and vitamin D intake and history of fracture, no significant association of plasma Lp(a) levels with low hip BMD T-score or hip fracture risk was detected. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that plasma Lp(a) levels are not related to hip BMD T-score or hip fracture events in postmenopausal women. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00000611; Post-results.

Dietary Calcium Intake and Bone Loss Over 6 Years in Osteopenic Postmenopausal Women.

CONTEXT: Calcium intakes are commonly lower than the recommended levels, and increasing calcium intake is often recommended for bone health. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between dietary calcium intake and rate of bone loss in older postmenopausal women. PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of observational data collected from a randomized controlled trial. Participants were osteopenic (hip T-scores between -1.0 and -2.5) women, aged >65 years, not receiving therapy for osteoporosis nor taking calcium supplements. Women from the total cohort (n = 1994) contributed data to the analysis of calcium intake and bone mineral density (BMD) at baseline, and women from the placebo group (n = 698) contributed data to the analysis of calcium intake and change in BMD. BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) of the spine, total hip, femoral neck, and total body were measured three times over 6 years. RESULTS: Mean calcium intake was 886 mg/day. Baseline BMDs were not related to quintile of calcium intake at any site, before or after adjustment for baseline age, height, weight, physical activity, alcohol intake, smoking status, and past hormone replacement use. There was no relationship between bone loss and quintile of calcium intake at any site, with or without adjustment for covariables. Total body bone balance (i.e., change in BMC) was unrelated to an individuals' calcium intake (P = 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal bone loss is unrelated to dietary calcium intake. This suggests that strategies to increase calcium intake are unlikely to impact the prevalence of and morbidity from postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Sequential Treatment of Abaloparatide Followed by Alendronate Versus Teriparatide Followed by Alendronate in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved abaloparatide (ABL) for treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) at high risk of fracture. With increasing health care spending and drug prices, it is important to quantify the value of newly available treatment options for PMO. OBJECTIVE: To determine cost-effectiveness of ABL compared with teriparatide (TPTD) for treatment of women with PMO in the United States. METHODS: A discrete-event simulation (DES) model was developed to assess cost-effectiveness of ABL from the US health care perspective. The model included three 18-month treatment strategies with either placebo (PBO), TPTD, or ABL, all followed by additional 5-year treatment with alendronate (ALN). High-risk patients were defined as women with PMO ⩾65 years old with a prior vertebral fracture. Baseline clinical event rates, risk reductions, and patient characteristics were based on the Abaloparatide Comparator Trial in Vertebral Endpoints (ACTIVE) trial. RESULTS: Over a 10-year period, the DES model yielded average total discounted per-patient costs of $10 212, $46 783, and $26 837 and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of 6.742, 6.781, and 6.792 for PBO/ALN, TPTD/ALN, and ABL/ALN, respectively. Compared with TPTD/ALN, ABL/ALN accrued higher QALYs at lower cost and produced an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $333 266/QALY relative to PBO/ALN. In high-risk women, ABL/ALN also had more QALYs and less cost over TPTD/ALN and yielded an ICER of $188 891/QALY relative to PBO/ALN. Conclusion and Relevance: ABL is a dominant treatment strategy over TPTD. In women with PMO at high risk of fracture, ABL is an alternative cost-effective treatment.

Multiple vitamin deficiencies additively increase the risk of incident fractures in Japanese postmenopausal women.

The associations of multiple vitamin deficiencies on incident fractures were uncertain, the relationships between serum vitamin markers and incident bone fractures were investigated in Japanese postmenopausal women. The number of deficiencies was additively associated with incident fracture after adjustment for possible confounding factors including the treatment of osteoporosis. INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the associations of multiple vitamin deficiencies on incident fractures, the relationships between serum vitamin markers and incident bone fractures were investigated in Japanese postmenopausal women. METHODS: This analysis used a subset of the ongoing cohort maintained by a primary care institution. Inclusion criteria of the present study were postmenopausal women aged ≥ 50 years, without vitamin supplementation and secondary osteoporosis. Baseline serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), and homocysteine (Hcy) were measured to assess vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin B, respectively. Since 25(OH) D positively relates to vitamin D, ucOC and Hcy negatively relate to vitamin K and vitamin B nutrients, respectively, the subjects with lower (25(OH)D) or higher (ucOC or Hcy) values than each median value was defined as subjects with the corresponding vitamin deficiency. Subjects were divided into four groups according to the number of deficiency: no deficiency, single deficiency, double deficiencies, and triple deficiencies. Relationships between the vitamin deficiencies and incident fractures were evaluated by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 889 subjects were included in this analysis; their mean and SD age was 68.3 ± 9.5 years, and the follow-up period was 6.3 ± 5.1 years. The numbers of subjects in the four groups were 139 (15.6%), 304 (34.2%), 316 (35.5%), and 130 (14.6%) for the groups with no, single, double, and triple deficiencies, respectively. Incident fractures were observed in 264 subjects (29.7%) during the observation period. The number of deficiencies was significantly associated with incident fracture (hazard ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.50, P = 0.018) after adjustment for possible confounding factors including the treatment of osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: Accumulation of vitamin deficiencies was related to incident fractures.

Judgment post-stratification in finite mixture modeling: An example in estimating the prevalence of osteoporosis.

Judgment post-stratification is used to supplement observations taken from finite mixture models with additional easy to obtain rank information and incorporate it in the estimation of model parameters. To do this, sampled units are post-stratified on ranks by randomly selecting comparison sets for each unit from the underlying population and assigning ranks to them using available auxiliary information or judgment ranking. This results in a set of independent order statistics from the underlying model, where the number of units in each rank class is random. We consider cases where one or more rankers with different ranking abilities are used to provide judgment ranks. The judgment ranks are then combined to produce a strength of agreement measure for each observation. This strength measure is implemented in the maximum likelihood estimation of model parameters via a suitable expectation maximization algorithm. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of the estimators with or without the extra rank information. Results are applied to bone mineral density data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis in adult women aged 50 and over.

Assessing periapical dental radiographs as a screening parameter for early indications of osteoporosis in postmenopausal periodontal patients and root surface evaluation using spectrochemical analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the usefulness of periapical dental radiograph as a screening tool aimed at early signs of osteoporosis in postmenopausal periodontal patients  and root surface evaluation using spectrochemical analysis. Methods: This study was conducted at the Department of Periodontics, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for 12 months between December 2016 and November 2017. Two groups consisted healthy postmenopausal women having chronic periodontitis and postmenopausal women having chronic periodontitis with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis were evaluated for plaque index (PI); gingival index (GI); clinical attachment level (CAL); probing pocket depth (PPD), and bone mineral density (BMD). A standardized digital dental periapical radiographs were taken for every patient. The spectrochemical analysis was carried out using the self-assembled Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of Calcium (Ca), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P), Fluoride (F), and Magnesium (Mg). Results: There was no statistically significant difference between both groups for GI and PI. Similarly PPD and CAL were showing the difference but statistically, significant difference was only for CAL. Value of distance starting from cement enamel junction to the alveolar crest (CEJ-AC) and BMD were having a statistically significant variance between both groups. The differences between osteoporotic and control group were statistically significant regarding Ca with the mean higher in the control group. Furthermore, the variances between the groups in both K and Mg were statistically significant with higher mean in the osteoporotic group (p less than 0.05).  Conclusion: The clinical, radiographic, and experimental findings of this study indicated that osteoporosis has a direct effect on the progression rate of periodontal tissue destruction and dental radiographic can be suggested as a screening tool for an early sign of osteoporosis.

ACTIVExtend: 24 Months of Alendronate After 18 Months of Abaloparatide or Placebo for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis.

Purpose: In women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, we investigated the effects of 24 months of treatment with alendronate (ALN) following 18 months of treatment with abaloparatide (ABL) or placebo (PBO). Methods: Women who completed ABL or PBO treatment in ACTIVE were eligible to receive up to 24 months of ALN. We evaluated the incidence of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during the entire 43-month period from ACTIVE baseline to the end of ACTIVExtend and for the 24-month extension only. Results: Five hundred fifty-eight women from ACTIVE's ABL group and 581 from its PBO group (92% of ABL and PBO completers) were enrolled. During the full 43-month treatment period, 0.9% of evaluable women in the ABL/ALN group experienced a new radiographic vertebral fracture vs 5.6% of women in the PBO/ALN group, an 84% relative risk reduction (RRR, P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier incidence rates for other reported fracture types were significantly lower for ABL/ALN vs PBO/ALN (all P < 0.05). Gains in BMD achieved during ACTIVE were further increased during ACTIVExtend. For ACTIVExtend only, RRR for vertebral fractures was 87% with ABL/ALN vs PBO/ALN (P = 0.001). Adverse events were similar between groups. A supplemental analysis for regulatory authorities found no hip fractures in the ABL/ALN group vs five in the PBO/ALN group. Conclusions: Eighteen months of ABL followed by 24 months of ALN reduced the risk of vertebral, nonvertebral, clinical, and major osteoporotic fractures and increased BMD. Sequential ABL followed by ALN appears to be an effective treatment option for postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis-related fractures.

The impact of GI events on persistence and adherence to osteoporosis treatment: 3-, 6-, and 12-month findings in the MUSIC-OS study.

The goal of this multinational, prospective, observational study was to examine the relationship between gastrointestinal (GI) events and self-reported levels of medication adherence and persistence in postmenopausal women. A total of 73.9% of patients remained on their osteoporosis (OP) therapy at month 12, although the presence of a GI event at baseline, month 3, and month 6 significantly reduced month 12 persistence among new users. The odds of a month-12 ADEOS score ≥ 20 were significantly lower among patients who experienced a GI event between baseline and month 6. The occurrence of GI events was observed to be associated with a lower likelihood of patient adherence and persistence to OP medication. INTRODUCTION: This study examines the relationship between gastrointestinal (GI) events and self-reported adherence and persistence with initial osteoporosis (OP) therapy over the course of the first 12 months of treatment. METHODS: The Medication Use Patterns, Treatment Satisfaction, and Inadequate Control of Osteoporosis Study was a multinational, prospective, observational study examining the impact of GI events on OP management in postmenopausal women. Information regarding GI events was collected at the time of enrollment and at months 3, 6, and 12 of follow-up. Patients reported GI events and medication persistence and completed the 12-item Adherence Evaluation of Osteoporosis treatment (ADEOS) questionnaire. Multivariate logistic and general linear models examined the association between GI events at various time points and persistence and adherence at month 12. RESULTS: The study enrolled 2943 women; 22.8% were classified as new users of OP therapy and the remainder were considered experienced users. Across all patients, 68.1% reported GI events at baseline; by month 12, over 80% of subjects who completed follow-up reported at least one GI problem. The majority of patients (86.7%) were treated only with bisphosphonates at baseline. At month 12, 73.9% of patients remained on therapy; logistic regression revealed that those with GI problems by month 6 were significantly less likely to persist with treatment, after adjusting for other factors. The odds of a month 12 ADEOS score ≥ 20 (considered predictive of adherence) were significantly lower among patients who experienced a GI event between baseline and month 6. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of GI events was associated with a lower likelihood of patient adherence to and persistence with OP medication.