Las mujeres osteoporóticas con fracturas muestran mayor cumplimiento terapéutico que las no fracturadas

Abstract

Background: Fractures are a clinical complication of osteoporosis. Sufficient therapeutic compliance is necessary to reduce the risk of fracture. The literature suggests that a significant percentage of patients with osteoporosis soon abandon treatment, both drugs and calcium and vitamin D supplements. Objectives: To study the degree of compliance with osteoporosis therapy in a population of women affec- ted by the disease, with and without fragility fractures. Patients and method: 413 women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis already established were included in the study consecutively, as they attended a health centre, without any selection or recruitment campaign. Results: 38.6% of the women had suffered at least one fragility fracture, the most frequent being non-ver- tebral fractures as a whole, followed by vertebral fractures. Fractured patients had an average age 5 years older than those without fractures. The overall proportion of patients who were taking regular treatment was 66.1%, with the proportion of compliant patients being higher in those who had a fragility fracture, at 75.9% for those taking drugs in general and 84.1% for those taking calcium and vitamin D supplements, as against 59.7% and 68.4% respectively for those without fracture (p<0.001). Conclusions: Those women affected by fragility fractures were older and had a greater adherence to tre- atment, both for drugs in general and for calcium and vitamin D supplements, than patients with osteo- porosis without fractures. Non-vertebral fractures were those most commonly observed fractures.