ABSTRACT
@EN It is well defined that osteoporosis is an age related disorder and associated with decreased bone mass. It is one of the most important disease facing the agine population because of its association with fracture of the hip, vertebrae and
distal
radius. The disease provoke a significant economic burden and major public healthproblem of an elderly. The life-time risk of hip fracture in white women is approximately 15% which is equal to the combined risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian
cancer.
Despite its deleterious effect on womens health, knowledge of the epidemiology of osteoporosis in Korea is only beginning. 1970 in Korea has known as the crossover period between the chronic and on infectious diseases. As the result, the infant
mortality declined and an elderly population in Korea increased significantly in the past decade. The average life expectancy of women in Korea is now about 75 years. Thus, the majority of Korean women will spend approximately one-third of their
life in
the postmenopause state. Therefore, better understanding of bone metabolism and fracture incidence in Korean population is a great interest for the medical community as well as for public health. Currendtly no population based epidemiologic data
are
available to support the incidence of osteoporotic fractures in Korea. However, available data suggest that significant declining of bone mineral density (BMD[g/cm]) has been occurring in Korean women after menopause. In same population peak BMD
was
observed around 33-39years of age and continue to decline thereafter. An accelerated bone losses occur after the menopause and the average loss is approximately 13% within 15 vears from the menopause. The incidence of fracture was highly
correlated
with
are age and one mineral density
The mean age of menopause in Korean women was 47 years and this age appears to getting younger when analyzed by the birth cohort. Arearlier menopausal age and increase life expectancy place Korean women at increase risk for osteoporosis and bone
fracture. Korean or Asiar women are no longer protected from the rist of bone fracture. Therefore, an early prevention or interventio schemes are essential before the butbreak of osteoporosis and/or fracture occurs in Korean or Asian Women.
@ES INTRODUCTION
@EN Many prospective studies indicate that the risk of fragility fractures increases progressively and tontinuously as bone mineral density declines(1-3). It is well documented that bone density in Asian women is lower than that of Caucasian
women.
Despite a low bone density, the prevalehce of bone fracture in Asian population is lowe than the Caucasian rates(4-6). The low fracture ncidene described in Asian populations are pehaps related to either under reporting of cases or less bone loss
during
postmenopausal period. We postulated that less bone loss during postmenopausal period in Asian populations are reponsible for the low fracture incidence. Therefore, in order to demonstrate our hypothesis of less bone loss in Korean women during
postmenopausal period we will describe, 1). General physical and metabolic characteristics in over 6700iemale subjects from Cheil general hospital;2). The pattern of BMD change during the pre-and postmenopausal periodl from the same cohort.
@ES CHARACTERISTICS OF CLIMACTERIC KOREAN WOMEN
@EN The mean age of the study subjects were 51.4 ?? 6.9 years and ranges from 20 to 94 years; the mean menopause age was 47±5.5 years and ranges from 20 to 69 years. A handful of young women who experienced an early menopause was not the case of
natural menopause but disease related phenomenon. Twenty-three percent of the subjects received a grade school education, 24% with Junior high school, 38% with high school and 8% with a college level education. Furthermore, 3% of the women were
nulliparity, 5.5% have one child, 36.7% have a two, 29% have a three, 16.2% have a four, and approximately 10% have more than 5 children. The mean height and weight was 1.57±0.05m and 57.3±7.3kg respectively. The mean body mass index (BMI,
kg/cm)
was
23.2±2.8 The demographic and physical parameters of our hospital population shows heterogeneity and no sign of disparity from the general population(7).
The patients presented with a variety of climacteric symptoms. These symptoms include; hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, palpitations, headaches, panic attacks, mood changes, anxiety, irritability, poor memory, poor concentration, loss of
confidence,
indecisiveness, depression, tiredness/loss of energy, genital track atrophy, dyspareunia, loss of libido, increased urinary frequency, increased urgency, nocturia, dysuria, dry thin skin, dry hair, formication, aches and pains in joints, Lumbago
was the
most frequently complained symptome in Korean women and the most severe cases were observed 7 years after the menopause. The most frequently complained symptoms within a three years of postmenopause was both hot flush and sweating. The other
symptoms
were not related to the duration of years since the menopause(7).
The clinical and laboratory characteristics were frequently used as the predictors and/or markers for the osteoporosis. Thus, in this section, we will describe the characteristics of the bone markers and lipid profiles related to the aging
process.
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