Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study

The Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos), which was established in 1995, is an ongoing population study being carried out in nine cities across Canada. CaMos has helped to shape our understanding of osteoporosis, both in Canada and internationally. Continued follow-up of the participants in CaMos will provide data to address critical questions by clinicians, health care policy makers, and the general public. We will collect five additional years of follow-up data to examine changes over time in fracture rates in women and men (particularly hip and back fractures) as well as changes over time in the major risk factors for fractures (such as bone mineral density, and serum vitamin D levels). We will evaluate the effectiveness of therapy on the prevention of first and subsequent fractures, the long-term effectiveness of therapy, the factors predisposing to loss of effectiveness of therapy, and how therapy impacts on quality of life. We will also examine the quality of life of participants who have a diagnosis of osteoporosis but have not yet fractured and in those with osteoporotic fractures. Annual follow-up will continue through the period of this grant, with complete reassessment of the participants once during the study. This will include an interviewer-administered questionnaire; measurements of height, weight, bone densitometry; spine x-rays; and blood samples. Participants who report a fracture on the annual mailed follow-up questionnaire will complete a telephone interview on fracture and health-related quality of life. We will also recruit an additional group of men and women ages 60-75 years, using the same methods as were employed originally, in order to facilitate interpretion of the observed changes in fracture rates and risk factors. Our study should provide new and important information on both prevention and treatment of a common debilibitating disease of both Canadian and international significance.