正視無預警微兆的疾病－－談骨質疏鬆性骨折婦女之生活品質

The Silent Disease: The Quality of Life of Women With Osteoporotic Fracture

世界衛生組識（WHO）於近五年訂每年的十月二十日為「世界骨鬆症日」，突顯此一全球性疾病防治的重要性。由朴骨質疏鬆症是一種沒有前兆的疾病，往往第一個發生的情況便是骨折，其中以髖部骨折最為嚴重，發生後一年內死亡率為15-36 %，此數據較羅息癌症的第一年平均死亡率還要高，而存活者中超過 50 ％的婦女，將面臨疼痛、失能、需依賴他人及終身需要輔助工具協助活動，甚至須居住在護理之家以接受長期照護，嚴重影響其居家生活品質。與健康相關之生活品質評括，已逐漸成為臨床上評價骨質疏鬆症患者生活品質之重要工具，藉由生活品質評估工具之運用，將有助於治療方向之參考、提升整體之生活品質並降低骨質流失及減少再次骨折之風險。「專業整合」（multidisciplinary）是處理骨質疏鬆症最佳的全方位策略，藉由完整的介入方案設計，以整合醫學、護理、營養及復健等資源，提供骨質疏鬆性骨折婦女，實行居家安全又有效之介入方案，以改善及提昇骨質疏鬆性骨折婦女之整體生活品質，將是未來重要方針。

For the past 5 years, the WHO has held World Osteoporosis Day on 20 October. This has highlighted the importance of preventing the disease. Osteoporosis has been called a silent disease. Fractures are the first sign to be noticed and the worst fracture is a hip fracture. The mortality rate associated with hip fracture is 15-36% which is higher than that for cancer victims in their first year as cancer sufferers. Half of those who survive face pain, disability and dependence. They also require the medical devices to assist activity throughout their life and have to live in nursing homes to receive care. This has a profound affect on the patient’s health and quality of life. Assessment of quality of life has become a very important tool to evaluate patients with osteoporotic fracture. The advantages of such assessments include establishing the direction of treatment, promoting general quality of life, and reducing the risk of further fracture. A multidisciplinary approach is the best holistic strategy for combining medicine, nursing, nutrition, and rehabilitation to increase the general quality of life of women with osteoporotic fractures.