Quality of Life in osteoporotic patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is responsible for fragility fractures, which are associated with impaired quality of life (QoL) and disability.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the QoL in patients affected by osteoporosis and possible determinants.

METHODS: One-hundred thirty-four subjects followed at the osteoprosis outpatient clinic at our institution completed the QUALEFFO-41 questionnaire for quality of life. All subjects had undergone bone densitometry measurement and the FRAX index, summarizing the risk of fragility fracture, was calculated for each of them. The QoL in these subjects and its possible determinants were investigated with univariate and multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS: Subjects with osteoporosis had lower scores in the domains of physical and social function of the QUALEFFO questionnaire in comparison with subjects with normal bome mineral density. Main factors associated with impairment in QoL were high FRAX score and body mass index (BMI).

CONCLUSION: Physical and social function is reduced in osteoporotic subjects. High BMI and an increased risk of fragility fracture were main determinants of impairment in the QoL in this study.