Development of clinical tools to guide diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in older adults

Osteoporosis, a disease commonly associated with age that reduces bone mass and strength, is a major contributor to hip fractures and one of the leading causes of mortality in older adults. It affects about 1.4 million Canadians including one in three women and one in twelve men over the age of 50 years old. Current tools for identifying osteoporosis (and corresponding hip fracture risk) have limited predictive capability and are poorly correlated with actual fracture risk. The development of a more accurate clinical tool to guide the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in older adults will facilitate independence and improve quality of life for older adults by facilitating improved diagnosis of osteoporosis, and by informing the development of more accurate individualized treatment plans to prevent osteoporotic-related injuries.