title: Osteoporosis, vertebral fractures and mortality in a Japanese rural community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to determine the relationship between osteoporosis (OP), vertebral fracture (VF) and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed up 1024 residents of Miyagawa village every 2 years for a mean of 8.4 years between 1997 and 2009. The residents were assessed every 2 years. We defined OP as T scores for bone mineral density that were < 2.5 standard deviations below peak bone mass. VF was assessed by lateral radiography of the thoracic and lumbar spine. The participants were allocated as follows depending on the presence or absence of OP and VF: with OP and without VF (OP group), with VF and without OP (VF group), with OP and VF (OP + VF group) and without OP and VF (Control group). We determined survival/mortality rates until 2011 by reviewing medical histories and death certificates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By 2011, 304 participants had died. The respective 5-year survival rates for the OP + VF, OP, VF and Control groups were 80.6%, 93.7%, 87.8% and 94.2%. Mortality rates were significantly worse for the OP + VF group than the Control group (OP + VF Hazard Ratio: 1.89; 95% CI, 1.27-2.77).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevention of osteoporotic VF in elderly persons is very important from the viewpoint of increasing life expectancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine , Mie , Japan.
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akeda
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asanuma
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Atsumasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sudo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality
keywords: Elderly; Epidemiology; Mortality; Osteoporosis; Vertebral fractures