Burden of osteoporosis in adults in Korea: a national health insurance database study

Abstract

We evaluated the number of osteoporosis patients under treatment and secular trends in 2005-2008 in South Korea. We investigated nationwide data regarding the number of osteoporosis patients under treatment in South Korea using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assesment Service (HIRA), which includes nationwide information [corrected]. Reimbursement records from the HIRA database between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008 were investigated. Patients aged ≥30 years old with osteoporosis were identified based on a study-defined algorithm using prescription data and diagnostic codes. During the study periods, the number of patients receiving medical treatment related to osteoporosis increased from 1,034,399 to 1,392,189 for women and from 120,496 to 171,902 for men. The calculated proportion of osteoporosis patients under treatment in the general population over 50 years of age was 6.1% for men and 33.3% for women, and in the general population over 30 years of age was 2.7% for men and 16.6% for woman. More than 40% of patients (59.1% for women; 41.2% for men) were treated with medication indicated only for osteoporosis. About 4-7% of osteoporosis patients had a past medical history suggesting a secondary cause of osteoporosis. More than 80% of all osteoporosis patients were women older than 50 years, reflecting the pronounced burden of osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. This study demonstrated a substantial increasing trend in medical claims related to osteoporosis in 2005-2008 among adults in Korea and a pronounced burden of osteoporosis among postmenopausal women.

Effects of walking on the preservation of bone mineral density in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women

“…The high morbidity and mortality of these diseases can intensify both individual and governmental financial burdens. 2,3 In 2010, in a position statement regarding osteoporosis management in postmenopausal women, The North American Menopause Society reported that weight-bearing exercise, which could be as simple as brisk walking or jogging, was beneficial to bone development and maintenance 4 through mechanical loading of bone. In addition, brisk walking has been one of the most acceptable exercise programs 5 and can be easily incorporated into an individual's current lifestyle.…”

“…The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to critically evaluate the effects of a walking intervention on BMD at the lumbar spine, at the femoral neck, at the radius, and for the whole body in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, as reported in RCTs and non-RCTs through systematic review and meta-analysis; and (2) to identify the optimal duration of a walking exercise intervention.…”

A higher serum gamma-glutamyl transferase level could be associated with an increased risk of incident osteoporotic fractures in Korean men aged 50 years or older

“…The 3% of the Korean population not insured by the KNHIP are either covered by another Medical Aid Program or are temporary or illegal residents. These claims are also reviewed by HIRA, and thus, virtually all information about patients and their medical records is available from the Korean HIRA database, which has been used on several occasions for epidemiological studies [10,11]. In our current study, we used the HIRA database records from January 2007 to December 2011.…”

Low bone mineral density is associated with dyslipidemia in South Korean men: The 2008–2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…In particular, the prevalence of dyslipidemia has been shown to be higher in men than in women, with values of 38.4% in 1998 and 54.5% in 2005 [21]. The prevalence of osteoporosis in men is also increasing in South Korea [22]. Some Korean studies have investigated the relationship between osteoporosis and dyslipidemia, but the results were not inconsistent, and they recruited participants only in single university hospitals or health promotion centers [23,24].…”