Osteoporosis self-assessment tool performance in a large sample of postmenopausal women of mendoza, Argentina

Implementing an Electronic Medical Record Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool Score Which Identifies Patients at Risk for Osteoporosis Promotes Osteoporosis Evaluation

Introduction:

Osteoporosis affects nearly half of the U.S. population. Screening methods are improving but remain inadequate, leaving the disease underdiagnosed and undertreated. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an EMR implemented system that identifies patients at risk for osteoporosis via an OST (osteoporosis screening tool) score in prompting patients toward osteoporosis evaluation.

Methods:

OST scores are generated on every patient 50 years of age and older that is admitted to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC) and recorded in their electronic medical record. An OST score < 2 indicates that a patient has a potential risk for osteoporosis. Information Technology (IT) implemented the EMR OST calculation, which currently generates a daily filtered list of all patients with an OST score <2; patients with an OST score < 2 are then mailed letters approximately 3 months after their admission informing them of their risk for osteoporosis and suggesting that they schedule a follow-up appointment with a physician for further evaluation. To test the effectiveness of this system in prompting patients toward osteoporosis evaluation, approximately 3 months after letters were mailed, the patients were contacted via telephone and asked a series of questions to determine if the patients had sought osteoporosis evaluation.

Results:

In the intervention group, 67 (58.26%) of 115 did not schedule a follow-up, while the remaining 48 (41.74%) did seek a follow-up. Thus, the patient follow-up response rate improved with letter intervention using the OST score as an indicator (P < .0001) compared to historical controls (14.29%).

Conclusion:

Implementing an EMR OST score which identifies patients at risk for osteoporosis, which generates an automatic letter to the patient, significantly promotes patient driven osteoporosis evaluation compared to historical controls.

Utility of Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool as a Screening Tool for Osteoporosis in Irish Men and Women: Results of the DXA-HIP Project

Many algorithms have been developed and publicised over the past 2 decades for identifying those most likely to have osteoporosis or low BMD, or at increased risk of fragility fracture. The Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool index (OSTi) is one of the oldest, simplest, and widely used for identifying men and women with low BMD or osteoporosis. OSTi has been validated in many cohorts worldwide but large studies with robust analyses evaluating this or other algorithms in adult populations residing in the Republic of Ireland are lacking, where waiting times for public DXA facilities are long. In this study we evaluated the validity of OSTi in men and women drawn from a sampling frame of more than 36,000 patients scanned at one of 3 centres in the West of Ireland. 18,670 men and women aged 40 years and older had a baseline scan of the lumbar spine femoral neck and total hip available for analysis. 15,964 (86%) were female, 5,343 (29%) had no major clinical risk factors other than age, while 5,093 (27%) had a prior fracture. Approximately 2/3 had a T-score ≤-1.0 at one or more skeletal sites and 1/3 had a T-score ≤-1.0 at all 3 skeletal sites, while 1 in 5 had a DXA T-score ≤-2.5 at one or more skeletal sites and 5% had a T-score ≤-2.5 at all 3 sites. OSTi generally performed well in our population with area under the curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.581 to 0.881 in men and 0.701 to 0.911 in women. The performance of OSTi appeared robust across multiple sub-group analyses. AUC values were greater for women, proximal femur sites, those without prior fractures and those not taking osteoporosis medication. Optimal OSTi cut-points were '2' for men and '0' for women in our study population. OSTi is a simple and effective tool to aid identification of Irish men and women with low BMD or osteoporosis. Use of OSTi could improve the effectiveness of DXA screening programmes for older adults in Ireland.

Challenges and opportunities for quality densitometry in Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean region account for 8% of the world's total population. Experts from 18 countries were invited to contribute to this article to provide the best available data on the number, types, and quality of densitometry, DXA experts, the local/national incidence and prevalence of osteoporosis and fragility fractures, and other uses and information on the challenges and opportunities for quality densitometry with examples of local initiatives. Osteoporosis is the primary reason for densitometry in our region, which is not a priority for public health in most countries. Access and quality are major challenges, and there is a clear trend to concentrate on densitometry services in the largest cities. Urgent action is needed to face the rapidly increasing burden of osteoporosis in our region, including robust and up to date epidemiology, access to health professionals, and quality densitometry. Health professionals require better access to training, courses, and other activities at a more local or regional level.

Effect of Calcium Fortified Foods on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Calcium supplementation and fortification are strategies widely used to prevent adverse outcome in population with low-calcium intake which is highly frequent in low-income settings. We aimed to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of calcium fortified foods on calcium intake and related health, or economic outcomes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis involving participants of any age or gender, drawn from the general population. We searched PubMed, Agricola, EMBASE, CINAHL, Global Health, EconLit, the FAO website and Google until June 2019, without language restrictions. Pair of reviewers independently selected, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies using Covidence software. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. We performed meta-analyses using RevMan 5.4 and subgroup analyses by study design, age group, and fortification levels. We included 20 studies of which 15 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), three were non-randomised studies and two were economic evaluations. Most RCTs had high risk of bias on randomization or blinding. Most represented groups were women and children from 1 to 72 months, most common intervention vehicles were milk and bakery products with a fortification levels between 96 and 1200 mg per 100 g of food. Calcium intake increased in the intervention groups between 460 mg (children) and 1200 mg (postmenopausal women). Most marked effects were seen in children. Compared to controls, height increased 0.83 cm (95% CI 0.00; 1.65), plasma parathyroid hormone decreased -1.51 pmol/L, (-2.37; -0.65), urine:calcium creatinine ratio decreased -0.05, (-0.07; -0.03), femoral neck and hip bone mineral density increased 0.02 g/cm2 (0.01; 0.04) and 0.03 g/cm2 (0.00; 0.06), respectively. The largest cost savings (43%) reported from calcium fortification programs came from prevented hip fractures in older women from Germany. Our study highlights that calcium fortification leads to a higher calcium intake, small benefits in children's height and bone health and also important evidence gaps for other outcomes and populations that could be solved with high quality experimental or quasi-experimental studies in relevant groups, especially as some evidence of calcium supplementation show controversial results on the bone health benefit on older adults.

Estimating regional bone mineral density-based T-scores using clinical information; tools validated for postmenopausal women in Sri Lanka

Objectives

This study aims to develop and validate a country specific osteoporosis risk assessing tool for Sri Lankan postmenopausal women.

Methods

Community-dwelling postmenopausal women were enrolled to development (n = 602) and validation (n = 339) samples. Clinical risk factors (CRFs) of osteoporosis were assessed. Bone mineral densities (BMD) of femoral neck, total hip and lumbar spine were assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Radial ultrasound (US) bone scan was done. Linear regression analysis was performed in development sample considering regional BMDs as dependent and CRFs as independent variables. Regression equations were developed to estimate regional BMDs using best predictive CRFs. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were assessed to validate the new tools.

Results

Age, body weight and US T-scores showed positive correlations with BMDs of all 3 sites. Two osteoporosis risk assessing tools (OPRATs) were developed as OPRAT-1 and OPRAT-2. Prevalence of osteoporosis, in the validation sample was 74.3%. Sensitivity were high in both tools (OPRAT-1 and OPRAT-2; 83.2% and 82.5%) while specificity were moderate (44.8% for both). PPV of OPRAT-1 and OPRAT-2 were 79.5% and 81.2%. Both tools showed moderate NPV (OPRAT-1 and OPRAT-2; 51% and 47%).

Conclusions

Both OPRAT-1 and OPRAT-2 have high performance in screening postmenopausal women in Sri Lanka for risk of osteoporosis. OPRAT-2 is more convenient and can be used in any healthcare setting with limited resources to identify women who will be benefitted by DXA. OPRAT-1 can be used if the radial US facility is available.

Modified SCORE tool for prediction of bone mineral density in Egyptian elderly women. Comparison of seven osteoporosis screening tools

We aimed to compare the performance of seven risk screening tools for detecting elderly Egyptian women with osteoporosis and to modify the tool with the best performance to increase the efficiency of referral for bone mineral density (BMD) testing. There are few studies about the epidemiology of osteoporosis in Egypt, in addition, there was no study done before to evaluate the performance of these seven screening tools in a large sample size. This aims to help clinicians restrict the use of DXA scan for those patients defined as "high risk" for osteoporosis which can substantially reduce the cost for the community and the patients, especially in developing countries. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 681 elderly women for measurement of BMD using DXA scans. The performance of the Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimation (SCORE) was superior to other indices with the highest sensitivity and specificity. The newly modified SCORE tool at cutoff point ≥1 is a simple easy tool and shows good sensitivity (up to 94%) and acceptable specificity (up to 46.7%) in detecting osteoporosis in elderly women with fewer items and easier calculation.

Performance of the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA) in Screening Osteoporosis Among Middle-Aged and Old Women in the Chengdu Region of China

The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of an osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) for screening middle-aged and old healthy women in the Chengdu region of China. OSTA scores were used to evaluate the effect of age on the development of osteoporosis. A total of 15,752 healthy women older than 40 yr, who reside in the Chengdu region, were assigned to 9 age groups divided by 5-yr intervals. Bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae, L1-L4, and the left hip was measured with a GE Lunar Prodigy advance dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry system (GE Healthcare, Cincinnati, OH). All subjects were classified into 3 categories according to OSTA cutoff values. The OSTA values used to define the categories were ≥-1, >-4 and <-1, and ≤-4. The accuracy of the OSTA index was compared with T-scores measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at various skeletal sites. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 17.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). The detection rate of osteoporosis and osteopenia at the lumbar vertebrae and the femur was found to increase with age. Furthermore, the sensitivity of OSTA value for detection of osteoporosis also gradually enhanced with subject age. In contrast, the specificity gradually decreased with age. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of the OSTA index for detecting osteoporosis gradually increased with higher OSTA cutoff values, and the specificity and positive predictive value appeared to gradually decline. It was concluded that the OSTA is a useful screening tool to detect osteoporosis in middle-aged and old women in the Chengdu region of China. Furthermore, specific OSTA cutoff values should be selected for screening individuals who belong to different age groups.

Development and Validation of an Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Taiwan (OSTAi) Postmenopausal Women-A Sub-Study of the Taiwan OsteoPorosis Survey (TOPS)

Background

To develop an OSTAi tool and compare this with the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommendations in 2013 (NOF 2013) for bone mineral density (BMD) testing among Taiwan postmenopausal women.

Methods

Taiwan Osteoporosis Association (TOA) conducted a nationwide BMD survey by a bus installed with a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) between 2008 and 2011. All of the participants completed questionnaire, which included demographics and risk factors of osteoporotic fracture in FRAX tool. We used the database to analyze potential risk factors for osteoporosis and followed the model by Koh et al. to develop a risk index via multiple variable regression analysis and item reduction. We used the index values to set up a simple algorithm (namely OSTAi) to identify those who need BMD measurement. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to compare the sensitivity/specificity analysis of this model with that of recommendations by NOF 2013.

Results

A total of 12,175 Taiwan postmenopausal women enrolled in this survey. The index value was derived by age and body weight of the participants according to weighted odds of each risk factor and the selected cutoff value was set at “-1”. There are 6393 (52.5%) participants whose index value is below “-1” and whose risk of osteoporosis was 57.5% (3674/6393). The AUC for OSTAi and NOF 2013 were 0.739 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.728–0.749, P<0.001) and 0.618 (95% CI, 0.606–0.630, P<0.001), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of OSTAi, at the selected cutoff value of -1, and NOF 2013 to identify osteoporosis were 73.1%, 62.0% and 78.3%, 45.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

As OSTA for Asian populations, OSTAi is an useful tool to identify Taiwan postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, In comparison with NOF 2013, OSTAi may be an easier and better tool for referral to BMD measurement by DXA in this area.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the performance of clinical risk assessment instruments for screening for osteoporosis or low bone density

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the performance of clinical risk assessment instruments for screening for DXA-determined osteoporosis or low bone density. Commonly evaluated risk instruments showed high sensitivity approaching or exceeding 90% at particular thresholds within various populations but low specificity at thresholds required for high sensitivity. Simpler instruments, such as OST, generally performed as well as or better than more complex instruments.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the study is to systematically review the performance of clinical risk assessment instruments for screening for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-determined osteoporosis or low bone density.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. Multiple literature sources were searched, and data extracted and analyzed from included references.

RESULTS

One hundred eight references met inclusion criteria. Studies assessed many instruments in 34 countries, most commonly the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (OST), the Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimation (SCORE) instrument, the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA), the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Instrument (ORAI), and body weight criteria. Meta-analyses of studies evaluating OST using a cutoff threshold of <1 to identify US postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at the femoral neck provided summary sensitivity and specificity estimates of 89% (95%CI 82-96%) and 41% (95%CI 23-59%), respectively. Meta-analyses of studies evaluating OST using a cutoff threshold of 3 to identify US men with osteoporosis at the femoral neck, total hip, or lumbar spine provided summary sensitivity and specificity estimates of 88% (95%CI 79-97%) and 55% (95%CI 42-68%), respectively. Frequently evaluated instruments each had thresholds and populations for which sensitivity for osteoporosis or low bone mass detection approached or exceeded 90% but always with a trade-off of relatively low specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

Commonly evaluated clinical risk assessment instruments each showed high sensitivity approaching or exceeding 90% for identifying individuals with DXA-determined osteoporosis or low BMD at certain thresholds in different populations but low specificity at thresholds required for high sensitivity. Simpler instruments, such as OST, generally performed as well as or better than more complex instruments.

Different Tools for the Assessment of Bone Mass among Egyptian Adults

BACKGROUND: Several tools such as, dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and self-assessment tool (OST), are being used for diagnosis of osteoporosis.OBJECTIVE: to compare the sensitivity and specify detection rate of bone mineral density (BMD) changes for DXA versus QCT and OST among a sample of Egyptian adults of both sexes.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study is a cross sectional one, which included 62 Egyptians, aged 20-65 years.  Each individual was assessed for BMD using DXA at femur and spine sites; QCT and OST which take into account body weight and age. Accordingly they were diagnosed as either osteoporotic/osteopenic or normal.RESULTS: The highest prevalence of osteopenia or osteoporosis was diagnosed among menopause women. DXA at femur has diagnosed more cases of osteoporosis (both osteopenic and osteoporotic) as compared to spine DXA or QCT, but OST is out of rang; as it failed to diagnose any case.CONCLUSION: DXA has been found to be more efficacious than QCT scan in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. DXA in femur is better than DXA-spine and QCT. Generally, DXA is the "gold standard" when assessing osteoporosis. Further studies are needed to modify the equation of OST and confirm its efficiency in Egyptians population.

A Study of Risk Factors and T- Score Variability in Romanian Women with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to analyse the prevalence of postmenopausal osteoporosis risk factors and to analyse the T-score variability in spine and hip according to the associated risk factors.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study (2003-2007) including 177 female patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The patients were separated in seven groups according to the number of risk factors per case. The T-score was compared between this groups using unpaired t-Student test.

RESULTS

The most frequent risk factor was early menopause (44.63%), followed by low consumption of dairy products (37.29%), coffee consumption (25.99%), sedentary lifestyle (20.9%), smoking (19.21%), delayed menarche (15.25%), low body mass index (10.71%), nulliparity (7.91%), alcohol consumption (0.56%). The maximum number of risk factors per case was six. The T-score decreased with increasing number of risk factors. T-score differences are statistically significant when comparing cases with 6 risk factors to cases with 5 risk factors (P=0.0315 in spine; P=0.0088 in hip), 4 risk factors (P=0.0076 in spine; P=0.043 in hip), 3 risk factors (P<0.0001 in spine; P=0.0205 in hip), 2 risk factors (P=0.0012 in spine; P<0.0001 in hip), a single risk factor (P<0.001 in spine and hip) and no risk factor (P=0.0075 in spine; P=0.0006 in hip).

CONCLUSION

Association of several risk factors leads to decrease of T-score so being able to avoid any such factors may contribute to a better bone mineral density. This could be achieved by the education of female population regarding postmenopausal osteoporosis risk factors, followed by adopting an appropriate lifestyle and diet.