The yield of routine laboratory examination in osteoporosis evaluation in primary care
Authors' conclusion
We identified a low prevalence of laboratory abnormalities in a primary care population of older women and the majority of these findings had no medical consequences.
Study context
- Population
- Women ≥ 65 years of age participating in a primary care fracture risk screening study2,208 in follow-up sample
- Participants
- 8,996 women
- Outcome
- Prevalence of laboratory abnormalities and their association with fracture risk factors, recent fractures, low BMD and prevalent vertebral fracture
Methodological detailsprimary care fracture risk screening study, follow-up of medical records in a sample (≥ 1 year)
- Primary care fracture risk screening study
- Follow-up of medical records in a sample (≥ 1 year)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of laboratory abnormalities
- Vitamin D deficiency (< 30 nmol/L)
- 13%
- Vitamin D insufficiency (< 50 nmol/L)
- 43%
- Other abnormalities (ESR, calcium, creatinine, FT4), women with risk factors for fractures
- 4.6%
- Other abnormalities, low bone mineral density (BMD) (T-score ≤ - 2.5)
- 6.1%
- Other abnormalities, after prevalent vertebral fracture
- 6.0%
- Other abnormalities, after recent fracture
- 5.2%
- Other abnormalities, absence of important risk factors
- 2.6%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Association of laboratory abnormalities other than vitamin D with low BMD
- OR
- 1.4 (95%CI 1.1-1.8)
- Not associated with prevalent vertebral fractures nor recent fractures
Associations of low BMD
- Renal failure, OR
- 2.0 (95%CI 1.3-3.4)
- Vitamin D insufficiency, OR
- 1.2 (95%CI 1.0-1.3)
- Vitamin D deficiency, OR
- 1.3 (95%CI 1.1-.5)
Laboratory abnormalities without new diagnosis or treatment in medical records · follow-up ≥ 1 year
- No medical consequence
- 82%
Original publication
The yield of routine laboratory examination in osteoporosis evaluation in primary care. Osteoporos Int. Published 18 March 2024. doi:10.
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