Osteoporosis in men: the value of laboratory testing.

UNLABELLED: Evaluation of 234 men referred for osteoporosis found many with undiagnosed secondary causes and multiple unrecognized risk factors. INTRODUCTION: Studies in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis suggest that many have unrecognized disorders affecting bone. Men are considered more likely to have underlying, possibly correctable causes. We studied the prevalence of risk factors, secondary causes, and laboratory abnormalities in men with and without previously known causes for osteoporosis. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of 234 men with osteoporosis diagnosed by bone mineral density testing. In addition to screening chemistries, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and spot urinary calcium-to-creatinine ratio were measured. RESULTS: The mean age was 70.6 years and mean weight was 76.4 kg. The mean T-score for spine, femoral neck, and forearm was -2.2, -2.4, and -2.3, respectively. Evaluation revealed secondary osteoporosis in 75% overall including hypogonadism, vitamin D deficiency, hypercalciuria, subclinical hyperthyroidism, and hyperparathyroidism. In those men with known secondary osteoporosis at the time of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry testing, additional diagnoses were found in just over half. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were very common, and other common risk factors for osteoporosis included age >65, current smoking, and prior fracture. Half of the subjects had ≥ 4 risk factors. CONCLUSION: Evaluation revealed a specific cause in about half of men thought to have primary osteoporosis. Among men with known secondary osteoporosis, additional risk factors and secondary causes were frequently identified. In conclusion, a relatively modest evaluation of men with osteoporosis will often provide useful information.

Treatment thresholds for osteoporosis in men on androgen deprivation therapy: T-score versus FRAX.

UNLABELLED: Men treated by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for localized prostate cancer are at risk for fracture, but it is not known which men require pharmacologic treatment. We found that 33% of men on ADT had osteoporosis of spine, hip, or forearm by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), thus requiring treatment. Using the new fracture prediction algorithm (FRAX) tool with corrected femoral neck T-score identified only 17% requiring treatment, and, if calculated without femoral neck, 54% were identified to need treatment. INTRODUCTION: Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate carcinoma live long enough to fracture. A new fracture prediction method, FRAX, is based on femoral neck DXA plus risk factors. Thus, DXA or FRAX could determine which men should receive osteoporosis therapy. METHODS: Of 115 men undergoing ADT referred for DXA testing, those with bone mineral density (BMD) in spine, hip, or forearm of >or=2.5 standard deviations below a normal male ethnicity-adjusted mean were considered treatment candidates. Using FRAX with and without femoral neck BMD, men were treatment candidates if the 10-year hip fracture risk was >or=3% or the major osteoporotic fracture risk was >or=20%. RESULTS: The men averaged 77 years old; 58% were African-American, and 14.8% were current smokers. Mean femoral neck T-score was -1.4. Using DXA, 38 (33%) men would need treatment. When FRAX was calculated including the femoral neck T-score, only 20 men met criteria for treatment. However, when FRAX was calculated without the T-score, 62 men met criteria for treatment. Overlap among the groups was surprisingly modest. CONCLUSIONS: DXA and FRAX identify different ADT men for treatment.

Improving osteoporosis management in patients with fractures.

A history of fracture is an independent risk factor for future fractures, but patients who have sustained a fracture are rarely evaluated for osteoporosis (OP). The objective of this study was to determine if a simple intervention in a general orthopedic clinic would lead to more fracture patients receiving evaluation and treatment for OP. Patients with a history of fracture visiting a weekly orthopedic clinic during a 6-month intervention period were educated about OP, and a bone mineral density (BMD) test was offered. The number of BMD tests performed and other OP-specific actions taken as a result of the intervention were compared with a 6-month pre-intervention period. The prevalence of OP in those who underwent BMD testing was examined. In the pre-intervention period, only 12.7% (16 of 126) had a BMD test as compared with 62.5% of the 136 intervention-period subjects (odds ratio [OR] 11.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.1, 21.4). Based on BMD test results, 11.9% of the pre-intervention patients, and 41.9% of the intervention patients received OP-specific recommendations (OR 5.3, 95% CI 2.8, 10.1). The intervention led to more patients being treated for low bone mass (9.5% vs 23.5%); OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4, 5.9. Low bone mass was common among all types of fracture patients: 20% had osteoporosis and 41%, osteopenia. BMD testing in patients with fractures should identify those at risk for future fractures, leading to appropriate treatment.