The impact of fragility fracture on health-related quality of life : the importance of antifracture therapy.
Both general and specific health status instruments can be utilised in evaluating health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) deficits resulting from osteoporotic fractures. Osteoporotic hip, vertebral and wrist fractures significantly decrease HR-QOL in most HR-QOL domains investigated. The presence of multiple vertebral fractures leads to larger decrements in HR-QOL. More research needs to be completed with these HR-QOL tools to better assess the true burden of osteoporotic fractures, particularly in the case of hip fractures, as the burden is surely being underestimated without recognition of HR-QOL. Only when the burden of fragility fractures is understood, inclusive of HR-QOL, will the value of proven antifracture prevention and treatment therapies be appreciated. Information collected by HR-QOL instruments may provide new insight as to how to improve quality of life for patients with fractures and how to properly allocate healthcare spending.
Xenodemetropoulos
Ted
T
St Joseph's Healthcare, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Davison
Shawn
S
Ioannidis
George
G
Adachi
Jonathan D
JD
D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic