Canadian multicentre osteoporosis study (caMos)

According to Statistics Canada there were 25,000 hip fractures in Canada in 1991 and the incidence continues to increase as the population ages. The annual direct cost of hip fracture is estimated to be at least $650 million. The results of the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos) show that the prevalence of osteoporosis in Canadian women >50 years is 15.6% and men of the same age is 6.6%. It was also found that the prevalence of vertebral deformity is 27% in women and 25% in men. Hip fracture has long been recognised as a devastating consequence of osteoporosis and now it is known that all other fractures cause significant loss of quality of life. The global problem is increasing at an alarming rate. A concerted effort must be made to reverse this trend. The success of any program for prevention of osteoporosis depends on the early and accurate identification of those at increased risk. Methods now available are imperfect, expensive, and are often not available to those in rural Canada. The research proposed will test a simple, inexpensive blood test for its ability to identify those at increased risk to fracture. It can be made available to virtually all Canadians and so for the first time bring diagnostic capabiltity to those in remote areas of the country.