Via practica 11/2005

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OSTEOPOROSIS

Author reviews epidemiology of osteoporosis over the world and in Slovakia. Life-time risk of any osteoporotic fracture is 39 % in women and 13 % in men. Life-time risk of death after hip fracture is comparable with that after breast cancer and 4-times more than uterine cancer. In Slovakia number of hip fractures in years 1974–2003 increased from 1 673 to 10 703. Epidemiology of most frequent osteoporosis fractures is discussed.

Keywords: osteoporosis – epidemiology.