Prevalence of osteoporosis: A critical review

Declining mortality, along with decreasing fecundity and increasing life expectancy, leads to an aging population and higher rates of non-transmissible chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis. There have been studies to estimate the prevalence of the event using different tools. The aim of this study was to revise osteoporosis prevalence rates and discuss the implications for Public Health. A literature review was carried out, and publications with prevalence estimates by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were included. Data were organized according to year, country and region, author, kind of population studied, and skeletal site. The results showed a wide dispersion of rates. Values ranged between 0.4% and 40.0% depending on skeletal site, age group, gender and type of study. In population-based studies, point estimates varied from 7.9% to 16.0% considering bone mineral femoral neck densitometry in women aged ≥ 50-years-old. It is necessary to implement projects in more developed Brazilian areas in order to describe the prevalence of osteoporosis, including it in the agenda of public policy decision makers.