Fracture Risk Assessment
Assessing absolute fracture risk is a critical component of therapeutic decision-making and should be a collaborative process with the patient. This risk can be calculated using tools such as FRAX® or the Garvan Fracture Risk Calculator. Both of these tools incorporate bone mineral density (BMD) as a risk factor, but they can also estimate risk in the absence of a BMD measurement.
Assessing fracture risk with tools like FRAX® or Garvan helps guide treatment decisions based on multiple known risk factors, even when BMD measurements are unavailable.
Common risk factors for osteoporosis are:
- Being a woman aged 50 years and over and being a man aged 65 years and over
- Low body weight (Body mass index less than 20 kg/m2)
- A personal history of previous fragility fractures
- A family history of fragility fracture and/or osteoporosis
- Menopause (especially if before 45 years)
- Smoking
- Drinking more than 2 standard alcoholic drinks daily
- A history of falls
- Some medications used to treat other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prostate cancer or breast cancer
- Some medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes or dementia
- Undiagnosed conditions that affect absorption of nutrients, such as coeliac disease, or a history of eating disorders