Effect of frailty and sarcopenia on the risk of falls and osteoporotic fractures in an unselected population
Life expectancy has increased rapidly in the last century due to economic growth. This has led to reduced mortality, improved quality of life, as well as greater availability of health care. In fact, there are more elderly people than at any other time in our history, and it is anticipated that within the next few years there will be more older adults than children. This forecast makes it essential for people to reach this age in good health, to avoid increased healthcare costs due to longer hospital stays, readmissions and demand for healthcare resources. One of the most common disorders associated with aging is osteoporosis, the most fatal consequence of which is fracture. Approximately half of the clinical fractures that occur in postmenopausal women do not present criteria for osteoporosis according to their bone mineral density [1]. In fact, the highest percentage of fractures occur in osteopenic women. Thus, other variables or tools are needed that allow the identification of people at high risk of fractures, a determining factor of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population.
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