Information for Patients & Caregivers

Algorithm helps identify those at risk of osteoporotic fracture

Researchers have developed two new risk scores which can help identify patients who are likely to suffer from fractures as a result of osteoporosis.

The team from the UK's University of Nottingham followed over two million healthy men and women over a 15-year period to help develop their new fracture risk algorithm, which could be used to estimate a person's risk of osteoporotic fracture over the next ten years.

QFractureScores differs from existing algorithms in that it takes into account a greater variety of risk factors, including falls, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Writing for the British Medical Journal, the report's authors stated: "These new algorithms can predict risk of fracture in primary care populations in the UK without laboratory measurements and are therefore suitable for use in both clinical settings and for self-assessment.

"QFractureScores could be used to identify patients at high risk of fracture who might benefit from interventions to reduce their risk."

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, there are 75 million people in Europe, the US and Japan suffering from osteoporosis.

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