Year Age Groups (year + age_groups)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effect of Alendronate on the Age-Specific Incidence of Symptomatic Osteoporotic Fractures

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2005
Marc C Hochberg MD
Abstract Analyses of data from 3658 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis enrolled in the Fracture Intervention Trial showed that alendronate is effective in reducing the risk of symptomatic osteoporotic fractures across a spectrum of ages. Introduction: Most osteoporosis studies examine the relative risk of fracture based on the entire duration of treatment. Because older patients tend to be at higher risk for osteoporosis-related fractures, this analysis examined the effect of alendronate treatment on the relative risk of fracture in terms of the age that patients attained during the study. Materials and Methods: We studied 3658 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis 55-80 years of age at baseline enrolled in the Fracture Intervention Trial, a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were treated with placebo or with alendronate at a daily dose of 5 mg for 2 years followed by 10 mg for an additional 1-2.5 years, and monitored for clinical fractures. Age, rather than study time, was the dynamic variable in our analysis. Results: The relative risk reductions for hip, clinical spine, and wrist fractures were constant across age groups, without evidence of a decline at older ages. Specifically, alendronate reduced the risk of clinical fracture by 53% at the hip (relative risk [RR] = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.27-0.81; p < 0.01), 45% at the spine (RR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.37-0.83; p < 0.01), and 31% at the wrist (RR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.50-0.98; p = 0.038). In addition, alendronate produced a significant risk reduction of 40% (RR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.47-0.77; p < 0.01) for the composite event of clinical hip, spine, and wrist fractures. As a consequence of the constant relative risk model, the absolute risk reduction with alendronate treatment increased with age because of the age-related increase in fracture risk in the placebo group. The absolute risk reduction for the composite event (hip, spine, and wrist fractures together) for alendronate treatment versus placebo was 65, 80, 111, and 161 women with fractures per 10,000 PYR for the 55 to <65, 65 to <70, 70 to <75, and 75-85 year age groups, respectively. Conclusions: These data show that alendronate is effective in reducing the risk of symptomatic osteoporotic fractures across a spectrum of ages. The effectiveness is somewhat greater in patients with femoral neck T score , ,2.5 than in those with a T score , ,2.0. [source]


Incidence of Hip and Other Osteoporotic Fractures in Elderly Men and Women: Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2004
Kevin P Chang
Abstract In this prospective 12-year study in men and women 60 years of age and older, there was a 4,6% per year reduction in the incidence rate of overall osteoporotic fractures, but the study was unable to exclude any change in the hip fracture incidence rate. Approximately one-half of hip fractures occurred before 80 years in men and two-thirds before 85 years in women. The age distribution of hip fractures underlines the need for earlier intervention in osteoporosis. Introduction: Although hip fracture is the major osteoporotic fracture in terms of health outcomes, quality of life, and costs, there is a paucity of long-term data on secular changes in men and women within a defined community. This long-term prospective population-based study over 12 years from 1989 to 2000 specifically examined the age distribution and secular changes in the incidence rates of hip and other osteoporotic fractures in men and women 60 years of age and older in a predominantly white population in Dubbo, Australia. Materials and Methods: Hip and all other clinical fractures were ascertained by reviewing all radiography reports from the two area radiology services, ensuring complete ascertainment of all clinical osteoporotic fractures. Results and Conclusion: Among the 1055 symptomatic atraumatic fractures (after excluding pathological fractures), there was a significant reduction in the overall fracture incidence rate in women (4% per year; p = 0.0003) and men (6% per year; p = 0.0004) over the 12 years. There were 229 hip fractures (175 in women and 54 in men) within 39,357 person-years of observation. The overall rate ± SE of hip fracture was 759 ± 57 per 100,000 person-years in women and 329 ± 45 per 100,000 person-years in men, with an exponential increase with age. With advancing age, the incidence rate of hip fractures in men approached that in women; the female:male ratio fell from 4.5 (95% CI: 1.3,15.7) to 1.5 (0.9,2.5) and 1.9 (1.2,2.8) in the 60,69, 70,79, and 80+ year age groups, respectively. In women, the absolute number of fractures and incidence rate continuously increased with age; however, in men, the absolute number of hip fractures peaked at 80,84 years of age and then decreased. Most importantly, despite the continuing increase with age, almost one-half (48%) of the hip fractures occurred before the age of 80 years in men, and 66% of hip fractures occurred before the age of 85 years in women. The overall hip fracture incidence is comparable with other white (except Sweden) and Asian groups as well as two other Australian studies. This study could not exclude a change in hip fracture incidence rate, even in those 80 years of age and over among whom the incidence of hip fractures was the highest. The incidence data highlight the fact that a large proportion of hip fractures occurs in those under 80 years of age, particularly in men. This age distribution underlines the need for earlier intervention in osteoporosis in women and particularly in men to achieve the most cost-effective outcomes. [source]


Life-history traits of the stone loach Barbatula barbatula

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
D. Vinyoles
The life-history tactics of the stone loach Barbatula barbatula were studied in a Mediterranean-type climate stream (Matarranya River) located in the Ebro River basin (north-east Spain). Maximum observed ages were 2+ years in both sexes (1% of individuals), although only 0+ and 1+ year age groups were well represented. It is the lowest longevity reported for this species in its entire distribution. The seasonal growth period started in June and continued until November, but the pattern observed was different to northern populations. Barbatula barbatula in the Matarranya River was a multiple spawner, releasing small batches of oocytes between April and June. The fecundity of females was higher and the size of oocytes smaller in 1984 than in 1985. The relative fecundity (number of ripening and ripe oocytes g,1 of fish) was lower than in northern European populations. The role of the particular environmental conditions of a Mediterranean stream was discussed in relation to the life-history tactics of B. barbatula. [source]


Change in hepatitis A virus seroepidemiology in southern Taiwan: a large percentage of the population lack protective antibody

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 2 2001
Shih-Min Wang
Abstract Hepatitis A, the predominant reported etiologic form of viral hepatitis in Taiwan, continues to be a disease primarily of children and young adults. A seroepidemiologic study was performed to assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis A (HAV) antibodies in the southern Taiwan general population in 1998 and is compared with results of a similar study in 1992. A total of 948 subjects (477 male and 471 female) with ages ranging from 0.3 to 63 years were stratified into 14 age-specific groups. The presence of anti-HAV antibodies was detected using a commercially available radioimmunoassay. Fifteen percent of the subjects were positive for anti-HAV antibodies, which is lower than that in 1992 (P,<,0.001). Seroprevalences were 14.1% for males and 22.6% for females (P,=,0.006). The pattern of anti-HAV seroprevalence was distinguishable from that found in 1992; minimum seroconversion occurred at ages ranging from 1 to 30 years. Prevalence of seropositive subjects decreased markedly for the <,1, 13,15, 16,19, 20,24, 25,29, and 30,39 year age groups in comparing 1998 with 1992. The current study demonstrates a continuing decline in the prevalence of HAV among children, adolescents, and young adults. The findings can be ascribed to the improvement of socioeconomic status and modernization of environmental sanitation. As a consequence of this changing trend of endemicity and the resulting lack hepatitis A antibodies among the general population in Taiwan, the risk of sudden major outbreaks is increased because of increasing international travel and immigration, particularly during and after natural disasters. HAV vaccination will be important for the prevention and control of HAV outbreaks in the community. J. Med. Virol. 64:104,108, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Mortality variation across Australia: descriptive data for States and Territories, and statistical divisions

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2000
David Wilkinson
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To describe variation in all cause and selected cause,specific mortality rates across Australia. METHODS: Mortality and population data for 1997 were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. All cause and selected cause,specific mortality rates were calculated and directly standardised to the 1997 Australian population in 5,year age groups. Selected major causes of death included cancer, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, accidents and suicide. Rates are reported by statistical division, and State and Territory. RESULTS: All cause age,standardised mortality was 6.98 per 1000 in 1997 and this varied 2,fold from a low in the statistical division of Pilbara, Western Australia (5.78, 95% confidence interval 5.06,6.56), to a high in Northern Territory,excluding Darwin (11.30, 10.67,11.98). Similar mortality variation (all p<0.0001) exists for cancer (1.01,2.23 per 1000) and coronary artery disease (0.99,2.23 per 1000), the two biggest killers. Larger variation (all p<0.0001) exists for cerebrovascular disease (0.7,11.8 per 10,000), diabetes (0.7,6.9 per 10,000), accidents (1.7,7.2 per 10,000) and suicide (0.6,3.8 per 10,000). Less marked variation was observed when analysed by State and Territory, but Northern Territory consistently has the highest age,standardised mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Analysed by statistical division, substantial mortality gradients exist across Australia, suggesting an inequitable distribution of the determinants of health. Further research is required to better understand this heterogeneity. [source]