Approaches to the targeting of treatment for osteoporosis
Journal article, 2009

Fractures are a clinical consequence of osteoporosis, and represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several treatments have been shown to decrease the risk of fracture, but problems arise in identifying individuals at high fracture risk so that treatments can be effectively targeted. The case for widespread population screening using bone mineral density testing is weak, as these tests lack sensitivity. Case-finding algorithms are available in many countries, but differ markedly in their approaches. Recent developments in fracture risk assessment include the availability of the FRAX (WHO Collaborating Center for Bone Metabolic Disease, Sheffield, UK) tool, which integrates the weight of clinical risk factors for fracture risk with or without information on bone mineral density, and computes the 10-year probability of fracture. The tool increases sensitivity without trading specificity, and is now being used in the reappraisal of clinical guidelines.

Practice Guidelines as Topic

prevention & control

Risk Factors

Osteoporosis

Humans

Bone

Mass Screening

complications

Fractures

etiology

therapy

Author

John A Kanis

Eugene V McCloskey

Helena Johansson

University of Gothenburg

Nature Reviews Rheumatology

1759-4790 (ISSN) 1759-4804 (eISSN)

Vol. 5 8 425-31

Subject Categories

Endocrinology and Diabetes

Physiology

DOI

10.1038/nrrheum.2009.139

PubMed

19648943

More information

Created

10/10/2017