title: The population-based prevalence of osteoporotic vertebral fracture and densitometric osteoporosis in postmenopausal women over 50 in Valencia, Spain (the FRAVO study).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of vertebral fracture and densitometric osteoporosis in postmenopausal women over the age of 50 in Valencia, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2006-2007. An age-stratified population-based random sample of 824 postmenopausal women over the age of 50 answered a questionnaire and received a densitometric examination of the lumbar spine and hip with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and a lateral X-ray of the thoracic spine and lumbar regions. Osteoporosis was defined as a T-score less than or equal to -2.5 compared to a population of young women, and the presence of vertebral fractures was classified according to Genant's semiquantitative method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the women was 64 years (range 50-87 years). The prevalence for all vertebral fractures was 21.4% (95% CI: 17.7%-25.1%) and 9.7% (95% CI: 6.7%-12.7%) for moderate-severe fractures. In women over the age of 75, the respective values were 46.3% (95% CI: 34.2%-58.3%) and 23.9% (95% CI:13.6%-34.2%). Only 1.5% of the women with vertebral fractures were aware of their condition. The prevalence of osteoporosis was estimated as 27.0% (95% CI:23.1%-30.8%) for the lumbar spine, 15.1% (95% CI:11.7%-18.5%) in the femoral neck, and 31.8% (95% CI:27.8%-35.7%) at either sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirms that osteoporosis (1 in 3 women over the age of 50) and vertebral fracture (1 in 5 for all fractures and 1 in 10 for moderate-severe fractures) constitute a major public health and healthcare challenge; measuring their real impact will depend in part on the criteria used to define a fracture.
authors.affiliation: Centro Superior de Investigación en Salud Pública (CSISP), Health Services Research Unit, Valencia, Spain. sanfelix_jos@gva.es
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanfélix-Genovés
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reig-Molla
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanfélix-Gimeno
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peiró
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graells-Ferrer
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vega-Martínez
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giner
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013030:Spain; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires