4 - Osteoporosis Flashcards
What are contributors to fragility fractures?
Things that:
1) Reduce bone mass
2) Reduce bone quality
Other associations:
- Drugs (prednisone, steroids, anti-epileptics, aromatase inhibitors, PPIs, and androgen-deprivation therapy)
- Hypogonadism
- Early menopause
- Hyperthyroidism
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
What are your chances of sustaining a fracture if on glucocorticoids?
up to 2X compared with non-glucocorticoid users
How much/how long of glucocorticoids increase your risk of fracture?
risk of fracture at prednisone doses as low as 2.5 to 7.5mg per day x 28 days
What should we do for those on glucocorticoids?
Screen!
BMD test indicated if >5-7.5mg prednisone equivalents for >3 months
What are some risk factors for falls?
- icy roads
- going to the bathroom in the night
- loose carpeting
- stairs
- hypotension
- alzheimer’s medications
- being weak
- parkinson’s
- poor sight
- age
- previous falls
What risk factors for falls are preventable/where can pharmacists and HCPs intervene?
- strengthen muscles
- medication management
What is a fragility fracture?
A fracture occurring spontaneously or following minor trauma such as a fall from standing height or less.
This can be tricky (is falling on ice and breaking your wrist a fragility fracture?)
Does low BMD cause osteoporosis (OP) ?
- Technically .. yes
- But, kind of like cholesterol and CV disease, it is JUST one of several risk factors for fractures
List 4 things we can do to prevent falls/osteoporosis
1) Screen as appropriate for those at risk
2) Minimize fall risk
3) Supplement as appropriate
4) Pharmacotherapy as appropriate
If someone comes into your pharmacy asking about supplements to keep bones healthy, what questions will you ask her?
- Has she had falls before?
- Is she taking calcium, vitamin D, or multivitamin ?
- How old is she?
- Fam Hx of osteoporosis?
- Is she on steroids?
- Is she a smoker?
- What is her BMI?
- How much calcium/dairy is she getting in her diet?
- Alcohol intake?
- Smoker?
What kind of exercise do we recommend for bone health?
Weight-bearing + stability
- aerobics
- strength training
- walking
- tai chi (but only if they’re stable hahah)
*Individualize for adherence and safety
What are 3 considerations we should think about when asking if we should initiate therapy?
1) Risk for fractures
2) Benefits/harms of therapy
3) Patient preference/goals of therapy
What is our primary goal therapy?
Reduce future risk of fractures
What is a clinical vertebral fracture?
-you have enough pain that it brings you into see someone
What is a vertebral fracture?
- doesn’t bring you in to see someone
- a lot are never identified bc they never go to the doctor or they just don’t notice
What is a major osteoporotic fracture?
proximal humerus, wrist, hip, clinical vertebral
What is the benefit of vitamin D and Ca supplementation on fractures?
- Decreases non-vertebral fractures by 5/1000 per year
- No difference in clinical vertebral fractures
- Decrease low risk hip fractures by 1/1000 per year
- Decrease high risk hip fractures by 9/1000 per year