Type 2 diabetes is associated with vertebral fractures in a sample of clinic- and hospital-based Latinos

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic population in the United States and type 2 diabetes is a major health burden in this population, but little effort has been made to study the prevalence of diabetic vertebral fragility in Latinos. We performed a cross-sectional study to determine vertebral fracture prevalence in a hospital-based population of South Texas residents (N = 296). We defined fractures in X-rays as a>20 % reduction in vertebral body height. Numerous variables were recorded, including age, body mass index, indicators of diabetes management and others. 71 % of the sample (N = 296) was Latino. The prevalence of vertebral fracture was increased in diabetic subjects relative to non-diabetic subjects (diabetic 27.9 %, non-diabetic 13.8 %) and, regardless of sex and diabetics status, decreased in Latinos relative to non-Latinos (Latino 16.7 %, non-Latino 26.4 %). These data suggest that vertebral fractures may be a growing concern for diabetic Latinos as well as diabetics of any racial/ethnic background.