Assessment of Risk of Fracture among obese elderly women attending primary health clinic at geriatric hospital in Ain Shams University Hospitals

Abstract

Elderly are more liable to develop fractures due to numerous risk factors such as decreased bone mineral density (osteoporosis) and many other independent clinical risk factors as frequent falls, visual impairment, sluggish gait, functional impairment, many medical comorbidities and drugs. 2 Bone fracture has major negative impacts on patient quality of life as it results in hospitalization in elderly patients. This is consequently a significant public health issue from the medical, social and economic perspectives. 3 Overall, obesity was supposed to be protective against osteoporosis; however, several studies have challenged this belief. Although the most of the studies find that obesity has a favorable effect on bone density, it is unclear what the effect of obesity is on skeletal microarchitecture. Also, the effects of obesity on skeletal strength might be site-dependent as Abstract Background: Elderly are more suscept ible to develop fractures due to many r isk fac tors such as osteo porosis and others r isk fac tors as f requent fal ls , v isual impairment, funct ional impairment and numerous comorbidi t ies . Women have about twice as high a r i sk of any fracture than men. Because women l ive longer than men and are exposed, hence, for extended periods to reduced bone densi ty and other r isk factors for osteoporos is and f ractures. Obesi ty is l inked to a higher r isk of some fragi l i ty f rac tures . A higher weight increases the r isk of fal l ing. On the other hand, the high values of body mass index (B MI), even though associated wi th good values of bone mineral densi ty (BMD), are at high f racture r isk based on an increased risk of fal l , so obesi ty might not protect against al l os teoporot ic fractures as i t was ini t ial ly considered al though BMD is the maj or element of the fracture r isk . Fractures have major negat ive impacts on pat ient qual i ty of l i fe; increased risk of hospi tal izat ion .This is consequently a s igni f icant publ ic heal th issue from the medical , social and economic perspect ives .