Læknablaðið - 15.10.1984, Page 36

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LÆKNABLADID
SUMMARY
This is a study of fractures of the proximal femur,
vertebral column and forearm in all age groups for
the period 1973-1981 in Reykjavik, Iceland. The
objective was to check if the pattern of age-specific
incidence and severity of the trauma causing these
fractures in Iceland is different from studied pat-
terns from other parts of the world.
The incidence of these fractures is commonly
considererd to be an indication as to the frequency
of osteoporosis. It has been suggested that a high
dietary intake of calcium tends to lower the
frequency of osteoporosis. The figure for mean
dietary calcium intake in Iceland is 925-1150 mg/day
amongst middle aged people, which is fairly high.
This study shows that the incidence of these
fractures increases with age, among women in
particular, and that the majority of the fractures is
caused by minor traumas. Among younger individu-
als the fractures are, however, more frequently
caused by major traumas.
The incidence rate for proximal femoral fractures
was higher than reported by most other studies.
The age-specific incidence of forearm fractures
has been suggested to be closely related to post-
menopausal osteoporosis. Our results indicate a
twofold higher incidence of forearm fractures
than do other studies used for comparison but the
shapes of the incidence curves are similar and the
severity of traumes in this study is similar to that of
the studies compared.
Thus this study from Reykjavik, an area of high
calcium and high protein intake, shows a high
incidence of fractures which have been related to
osteoporosis. However there was some seasonal
variation with higher rates during the slippery
winter months, but this could only partly explain this
high incidence, compared to other reported studies.
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