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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292430
Title: Osteoporosis and low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine in older adults: United States, 2005-2008

Author
item LOOKER, ANNE - Tufts - New England Medical Center
item BORRID, LORI - Boston University
item SCHNEIDER, ERICA - Cleveland Clinic
item NUITE, MELYNN - Tufts - New England Medical Center
item PRICE, LORI LYN - Tufts - New England Medical Center
item LO, GRACE - Debakey Va Medical Center
item DAWSON-HUGES, BESS - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: National Center for Health Statistics Data Briefs
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2012
Publication Date: 4/30/2012
Citation: Looker, A.C., Borrid, L.G., Schneider, E., Nuite, M., Price, L., Lo, G., Dawson-Huges, B. 2012. Osteoporosis and low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine in older adults: United States, 2005-2008. National Center for Health Statistics Data Briefs. (93):1-8.

Interpretive Summary: Many current clinical guidelines recommend that assessment of osteoporosis and low bone mass be based on bone mineral density at either the femur neck region of the proximal femur (hip) or the lumbar spine. This paper presents the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2005-2008) on osteoporosis and low bone mass at either the femur neck or lumbar spine among older adults in the United States population. Results are presented by age, sex, race and ethnicity. Nine percent of adults over age 50 years had osteoporosis at either the femur neck or lumbar spine and roughly half had low bone mass at either of these two skeletal sites. The prevalence was higher in women and increased with age. When compared to non-Hispanic whites, Mexican Americans and persons of other races tended to be at higher risk and non-Hispanic blacks tended to be at lower risk of either osteoporosis or low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine.

Technical Abstract: Many current clinical guidelines recommend that assessment of osteoporosis or low bone mass, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) (1), be based on bone mineral density at either the femur neck region of the proximal femur (hip) or the lumbar spine (2,3). This data brief presents the most recent national data on osteoporosis or low bone mass at either the femur neck or lumbar spine among older adults in the United States population based on these WHO categories. Results are presented by age, sex, and race and ethnicity