Clinical profile of Spanish postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis and risk factors for endometrial pathology, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Objective 

GINERISK was designed to assess the clinical profile of Spanish postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis and to establish the presence of other risk factors.

Methods 

In this Spanish cross-sectional, epidemiological, observational study, gynecologists sequentially invited postmenopausal women with osteoporosis under their care to complete a predefined questionnaire during a routine visit. Risk factors for bone fractures, endometrial pathology, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease were assessed.

Results 

In addition to being postmenopausal and having diagnosed osteoporosis, 49.8% (2,070/4,157) of eligible participants had one or more risk factors for bone fractures, 96.8% (4,023/4,157) had one or more risk factors for breast cancer, and 83.4% (3,469/4,157) had one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, 20.1% (n = 835) of the women presented with high cardiovascular risk, 16.6% (n = 692) were at high risk for bone fractures, and 14.5% (n = 423) were at high risk for developing breast cancer in the next 5 years, whereas only 9.2% (n = 301) of participants were identified as having high endometrial risk.

Conclusions 

In addition to the increased risk of bone fractures, women with osteoporosis are also at risk for endometrial pathology, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease. These risks should be evaluated and taken into consideration when choosing an osteoporosis treatment for postmenopausal women.