Scheduled for Research Coordinating Board Poster Session II, Thursday, April 1, 2004, 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Session


Risk Factors Associated with Osteoporosis in Hispanic Women

Deanna Williams, The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, Melody M. Yarbrough, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, Kingsville, TX and Marsha M. Allen, Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital, Corpus Christi

Little data is available on how Hispanic women may be at risk for osteoporosis. Research on women in ethnically diverse populations is necessary to understand their risk for this disease. Patient files at a women’s health center in a Southern city were reviewed and demographic, risk factor, and bone density data collected. Of the 498 patients reviewed, 471 were Hispanic females. Demographic and risk factor information collected included ethnicity and gender, age, height, weight, family history of fractures, personal history of fractures, loss of height, exercise, frequency of exercise, diet, whether or not the patient had a hysterectomy or had experienced menopause and length of time since that event. Use of hormone replacement therapy, calcium supplementation, and the presence of hypertension, thyroid disease, diabetes, arthritis, chemotherapy, family history of breast cancer, use of water pills, fosamax, steroids, alcohol, and smoking were also considered. Of the sample studied, 28% were diagnosed with osteoporosis, 41.8% with osteopenia, and 29% with normal bone densities. Most of the results found parallel the results found in research on the Caucasian population. Those subjects diagnosed with normal bone density had an average weight of 172 pounds, while those diagnosed with osteoporosis had an average weight of 146 pounds. Those diagnosed with osteopenia fell in the middle with an average weight of 157 pounds. The risk factor of age, proven to be of importance in the Caucasian population was similarly noted in the Hispanic population with the older patients (average age of 66 years) more likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis than the younger patients (average age of 57 years). Those subjects that exercised the most frequently and those on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had better bone density. It is important to note however, that only 50.7% of subjects were taking hormone replacement therapy, which is a low percentage for women past menopause. Diabetic subjects had a much higher incidence of osteoporosis and osteopenia than patients not diagnosed with diabetes, and these changes were greater the longer the disease duration (12.5 years of diabetes for those diagnosed with osteoporosis vs. 6.45 years for those with normal bone density). Results which were not anticipated, and which warrant further investigation, were that bone density was better in subjects not taking calcium supplements, and in subjects who consumed alcohol.

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