High prevalence of dementia in women with osteoporosis

Abstract Introduction Alzheimer's disease or other Dementias (ADD) and postmenopausal osteoporosis are two major public health problems with a huge impact on mortality. Here, we examined the prevalence of ADD in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, monitored within a dedicated fracture liaison service. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study in a population of 2041 women, visiting the university hospital of Saint-Etienne for a peripheral fragility fracture. We assessed the prevalence of ADD among these patients and compared to French population. We also compared the characteristics of women with ADD and without ADD. Results ADD prevalence was on average 13.5% in the population of interest with a mean age of 85 years. As women with ADD were older than women without ADD, the prevalence of the disease significantly increased with age as 0%, 1.8%, 13% and 29.7% in  Conclusion ADD prevalence was higher in postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis, especially those with femoral fractures. Thus, our results incite to a more efficient care of this population with a high risk of fracture and mortality.