RISK FACTORS AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES FOR OSTEOPOROSIS-RELATED FRACTURES IN ELDERLY POPULATIONS

Abstract

Osteoporosis causes fractures that makes the elderly population in the world a significant health issue that leads to high morbidity, mortality and high healthcare expenses. This paper has been evaluated the effectiveness of preventative interventions to help minimize fractures in older people, and has conducted a systematic review of some of the multifactorial risk factors associated with the incidence of osteoporotic fracture. These were the most important factors identified: female gender, old age, low bone mineral density, low vitamin D levels, physical inactivity, multiple chronic conditions and tendency to fall. Limited access to preventive care was another factor contributing to the vulnerability to fracture due to socioeconomic factors. Combined interventions were the most obvious changes that emerged from the analysis of the strategies for preventing in the study used here. Anabolic and antiresorptive agents in pharmacological treatments were found to have a great increase in bone density and decreased the chances of fracture in cases where compliance was maintained. Non-pharmacological interventions were found to have great protective benefits, specifically the weight-bearing exercise, balance training, the nutritional optimization and fall prevention programs. There is evidence of the effectiveness of the integrated models of patient centered prevention; the individual interventions are compared to the effectiveness of the integrated models. The overall findings of the research are that multidisciplinary preventive measures are essential, at an early age the risk of osteoporosis fractures should be screened, and lifestyle and drug management should be adhered to as a preventive measure against osteoporosis in the elderly.