Apparently the loss of height in postmenopausal women may indicate a vertebral fracture according to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Shrinking in height is common as people age and is associated with back pain. Reasons include changes in the curvature of the spine, narrowing of intervertebral discs and vertebral fractures. Two-thirds of adults have back pain at any time. It is not known if the benefits outweigh the harm of unnecessary radiographs and so diagnosing these treatable disorders is controversial.
Researchers from France conducted a study to compare postmenopausal women and analyze reasons for height loss. The study included 1779 randomly selected general practitioners who were each asked to recruit five female patients over the age of 60. A total of 8610 patients were included in the study.
"We observed a mean loss of height of 4.5 cm since early adulthood in a large population of postmenopausal women in primary care practices," writes coauthor Dr. Karine Briot of Hôpital Cochin and Université Paris Descartes in France. "We found that the risk of an existing vertebral fracture was significantly higher among patients with a height loss of at least 4 cm."
The authors conclude that measurement of height loss could be an accurate method for detecting vertebral fractures. As the actual height of women was different from what the patients reported, GPs need to measure the patients accurately themselves and not rely on estimates. This could indicate whether there may be a spinal fracture and whether further diagnostic tests are required instead of x-raying all patients
Story Source: MLA Canadian Medical Association Journal (2010, March 24). Height loss in postmenopausal
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