Background Multifactorial racial disparities have been identified in a number of areas in clinical medicine. Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis should be treated regardless of race. However, no data are available on the relative frequency of treatment after diagnosis of osteoporosis by race.
Methods We analyzed 739 DEXA results of women 50 years old and older between 1998 and 2002. This patient population at our academic medical center consists of approximately 50% African- Americans. We abstracted the medical records of 430 women who had low bone mineral density.
Results Of the 165 women diagnosed with osteoporosis, 116 were started on anti-resorptive medications (70.3%). Of the 265 women who had osteopenia, 145 were started on these medications (54.7%). Of the 24 African American women diagnosed with osteoporosis, only 15 were started on anti-resorptive treatment (62.5%) compared to 101 of 141 Caucasian women (71.6%), (p<0.05). African- American women with low bone mass were less likely than Caucasian women to be smokers (p<0.05) and use alcohol (p<0.001), and more likely to be on steroids (p<0.05). No significant differences were found among treated and non-treated groups that might explain this disparity in treatment.
Conclusion A smaller proportion of African American than Caucasian women with osteoporosis received anti-resorptive medications after a DEXA. This significant discrepancy requires further study in a larger population.
Disclosure Information:
Faculty Member's Name: Irene Hamrick, MD
Other Financial or Material Support: Speaker's bureau of Abbott Laboratories
I have no relationships to disclose.
See more of Poster Abstracts: Osteoporosis - Treatment
See more of The Sixth International Symposium on Osteoporosis: Current Status and Future Directions