I help women over 50 exercise to prevent unnecessary bone loss, prevent falls that fracture, and stay fearlessly active with their friends and families for years to come.
What is the FRAX tool?
|
Hi Reader, Over the past few weeks, I have been doing my best to go through the details of DEXA scans to help make them more understandable. Many of you have asked me what they mean, and I am trying to help you sort through them! This week, I want to review the FRAX tool. Before you ask, let me tell you straight up, it is NOT included in all DEXA scans. Just like the trabecular bone score (TBS) is in some reports and not others, the FRAX tool is not always a part of your DEXA report. The good news is, you can easily calculate it yourself. I will show you how later in the email. But first, what is it? FRAX stands for Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, which was developed in the UK in 2008. It is used to predict the 10-year probability that you will sustain a fracture. The fracture risk includes the hip area, the spine, the forearm, and the shoulder. The FRAX tool is most often used to help you and your doctor decide if medication for osteoporosis would help reduce your RISK of fracture. It cannot tell you to take medication; it just helps calculate your risk of sustaining a fracture. This is one more piece of information for you to consider when evaluating your options. If you do not see the FRAX assessment on your DEXA scan, you can do it yourself here. If you have your T-score from your DEXA scan, the T-score from your femoral neck, get that ready to put into question 12, the drop-down menu where it says: Select BMD. (The good news is you can still do it even if you have not yet had a DEXA scan.) Here is an example of what your FRAX results might look like in your DEXA report: In this example, the risk of a major osteoporotic fracture was calculated to be 11.2%, well below the 20% threshold needed to be considered for medication intervention. The hip fracture risk was 1.0%, which is significantly lower than the 3% threshold. So, although this person has osteopenia, medication is not the first line of defense. What is the first line of defense? 💪Weight training, good nutrition, and quality sleep! At least that is my opinion. I also recommend getting your Vitamin D levels checked if you don't know what they are. That should be enough information for today. I hope you found it helpful. I go over this and so much more with my Strong Women, Strong Bones members. I will start a new group in the fall, so get on the waitlist and stay on top of the details. Thank you for being here and reading this far. One more thought before I sign off. 💡The next time you schedule a DEXA scan, please ask if you will get a TBS score and a FRAX score. If not, consider switching your DEXA scan to another facility with up-to-date software! Keep moving and stay strong, 📌 Join the waitlist for my Strong Women, Strong Bones program. Don't miss out when I announce the fall dates. 📌 PS —All of my online classes are listed here REFERENCES Dickens LT, Jain RK. An Update on the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool: What Have We Learned over 15+ years? Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2024 Dec;53(4):531-545. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2024.08.001. Epub 2024 Sep 10. PMID: 39448135.
The information provided is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical or physical therapy advice to any individual. Please consult with your physician before starting any new exercise program. Any exercise has the potential to cause injury or physical problems. |
Hi! I'm a Andrea Trombley PT, DPT
I help women over 50 exercise to prevent unnecessary bone loss, prevent falls that fracture, and stay fearlessly active with their friends and families for years to come.
Hi Reader, Last week, I had a cortisone shot in my left thumb CMC joint (the small joint at the base of the thumb). It's used in daily activities like opening jars and closing resealable bags (the worst), tying shoes, and holding a golf club. If you have arthritis in this joint, you know exactly what I am talking about. The pain had become hard to ignore, especially as I spent more time at the driving range⛳. After breaking my wrist last summer, follow-up X-rays confirmed what I already...
Hi Reader, Welcome to July Strong Women! Things around here are shifting with my husband newly retired,— I’ve been reflecting on what consistency looks like this season. Whether you’ve recently retired, work part-time, volunteer, or are navigating the quiet of an empty nest, this thought might sound familiar: "Now that I have more time, how do I actually stay consistent with exercise?" It might sound ironic, but having more flexibility can actually make it harder to build and stick to a...
Hi Reader, If you are new here, welcome! Last week, I sent an email with the results of my DEXA scan T-scores . This week, I want to take a closer look at another part of the report. It may be part of your DEXA report as well. Let's look at and interpret the TBS scores. What is TBS?TBS stands for trabecular bone score. It is a way to assess the quality of your bone structure, not just the density. The T-score tells us about the density of our bone, but the TBS numbers provide insight into the...