• Macarena Jiménez, Camila Henríquez, Francisca Miranda, Macarena Olmedo, Danisa Ivanovic-Zuvic, and Pablo Florenzano.
• Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
• Rev Med Chil. 2022 May 1; 150 (5): 597602597-602.

BackgroundA secondary cause can be found in up to one third of women with osteoporosis, potentially modifying their therapeutic approach.AimTo determine the prevalence of secondary causes and risk factors for decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis.Material And MethodsWe included postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis or low BMD who consulted for the first time in an endocrinology clinic between October 2018 and March 2020. A complete medical history, physical examination and a standardized laboratory assessment to identify secondary causes were performed.ResultsDuring the study period, 114 women were evaluated, 30 of them with low BMD and 84 with osteoporosis. After obtaining a medical history and a structured laboratory screening, at least one secondary cause was found in 50% of patients with osteoporosis and in 67% of those with low BMD. Most patients with no identified secondary cause had at least one risk factor for fragility fractures.ConclusionsA structured evaluation that includes medical history and standardized laboratory study in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or low BMD, is a valuable tool to identify secondary causes of osteoporosis.

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