Risk factors for osteoporosis in a subgroup of elderly men in a Veterans Administration nursing home.
BACKGROUND
General risk factors for osteoporosis in men include cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and diseases known to affect calcium or bone turnover. The aim of this study was to determine the specific incidence and major risk factors for osteoporosis in those at high risk for falling in a Veterans Administration nursing home that included a high proportion of psychiatric patients.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional analysis of Veterans Administration Medical Center nursing home residents with high fall risk. Thirty-nine men with a previous episode of falling or who were considered to be at high fall risk were enrolled. A review of the medical histories and pertinent hormonal and biochemical laboratory values was performed. Bone mineral density was measured by performing dual energy x-ray absorptiometry for all participants.


RESULTS
We reviewed the medical records of 39 male nursing home residents with high fall risk. The patients' mean age was 74.7 +/- 6.8 years. A significant (p = 0.00045) association was found between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and osteoporosis independent of oral corticosteroid use. Additional risk factors found to be associated with osteoporosis included hypogonadism, lower body weight, antipsychotic medication use, and smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
In a Veterans Administration nursing home population at high risk for falls, including psychiatric patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease independent of the use of corticosteroids, lower body weight, hypogonadism, use of antipsychotic medications, and smoking was found to be associated with osteoporosis.
Yeh
Shing-Shing
SS
Department of Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center Northport, 11768, USA. Shingshing.Yeh@med.va.gov
Phanumas
Donna
D
Hafner
Alice
A
Schuster
Michael W
MW
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006615:Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans