FRAX® Implementation Guide Released to DXA Manufacturers

National Osteoporosis Foundation and International Society For Clinical Densitometry Work To Help Ensure Appropriate Use Of Fracture Risk Assessment Tool

(Washington, DC) – The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) have announced that FRAX® software is being made available to DXA providers to allow for a FRAX® calculation, if appropriate, at the time of a DXA test in untreated postmenopausal women and older men with low bone mass.

National Osteoporosis Foundation and International Society For Clinical Densitometry Work To Help Ensure Appropriate Use Of Fracture Risk Assessment Tool

(Washington, DC) – The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) have announced that FRAX® software is being made available to DXA providers to allow for a FRAX® calculation, if appropriate, at the time of a DXA test in untreated postmenopausal women and older men with low bone mass. FRAX is a World Health Organization algorithm that combines clinical risk factors for fracture with the level of bone density at the hip. A DXA test is a bone density measurement that is used to diagnose low bone mass or osteoporosis.

“We are very excited to have this option made available to clinicians at the time a bone density test is obtained to help assess 10 year absolute fracture risk in patients with low bone density (osteopenia) so they receive the most appropriate management to prevent future fractures,” said Ethel S. Siris, MD, chair of the FRAX®– US Implementation Subcommittee and member of the NOF Board of Trustees.

Through the use of FRAX® , patients with low risk of fracture after FRAX® assessment will have reassuring information and a plan to reassess in the future, according to Dr. Siris. Patients found to be at increased fracture risk will have valuable information that will be an important part of a discussion with their clinician in considering the benefit of prescription treatment with an FDA-approved medication.

The FRAX calculation provides an absolute 10 year fracture probability for both hip fractures and major osteoporotic fractures and is most useful in patients with osteopenia. Patients with osteoporosis or those with a previous hip or spine fracture are recommended for treatment by NOF.

In patients with osteopenia, FRAX helps determine if they are at low or high risk for fracture to aid in treatment decisions. The NOF Clinician’s Guide emphasizes the need for good clinical judgment and recommends treatment if either the 10 year risk for hip fracture is 3 percent or higher or that for major osteoporotic fractures is 20 percent or higher. “We believe this initial guidance will pave the way for FRAX® to be used optimally and to result in the best possible benefit to patients,” said Dr. Siris.

This guidance to the DXA manufacturers, developed jointly by NOF and ISCD, is available at www.nof.org.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization solely dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health. NOF’s mission is to prevent osteoporosis and related fractures, to promote lifelong bone health, to help improve the lives of those affected by osteoporosis and to find a cure through programs of awareness, advocacy, public and health professional education and research. For more information, please log on to www.nof.org.

The International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) is a multidisciplinary, nonprofit organization which was founded in June of 1993. ISCD provides a central resource for a number of scientific disciplines with an interest in the assessment of skeletal health. The ISCD’s mission is to advance excellence in the assessment of skeletal health.