P142 Fracture risk in diabetes: to FRAX or not to FRAX?

Abstract

Abstract Background/Aims Diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased bone strength as well as increased fracture risk. The risk of fragility fracture increases with an increase in the duration of diabetes and worsening of glycemic control. However, this increased fracture risk often goes unidentified. Identifying patients at risk of fracture is fundamental in helping to prevent fractures. WHO FRAX (fracture risk assessment) tool computing the 10-year probability of hip fracture or a major osteoporotic fracture helps ascertain fracture risk. In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), the diagnosis of osteoporosis by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the FRAX are only partially useful in assessing fracture risk. Our aims were: 1. To identify the fracture risk in patients with diabetes and 2. To assess the impact of adding diabetes as a risk factor in the calculation of FRAX score. Methods One hundred patients above the age of 50 years with duration of diabetes above a year who attended the diabetes clinic from December 2020 to June 2021 were included. Data was collected on demographics (age, sex, ethnicity), diabetes-related factors (the type, duration, complications and medications) and clinical risk factors for osteoporotic fracture (parental fracture, previous fracture, smoking, alcohol intake) from patient interviews and the FRAX score was calculated. FRAX tool was modified for diabetes by adding either 10 years of age or Rheumatoid arthritis as risk factor. Results Mean age of our cohort of patients was 67 years and their mean BMI was 33 kg/sq m. Duration of diabetes was over 5 years in 95% of the patients. T2DM was seen in 82% and Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in 18%. The mean HbA1c was 8.4%. Unadjusted mean FRAX score for a major osteoporotic fracture was 8.9% and hip fracture 2.3%. High risk of future fracture was seen in 4% of the patients and intermediate risk in 23% and low risk in 73%. Four patients had Rheumatoid arthritis and 21 had previous fragility fractures. Modifying the FRAX tool by adding 10 years to age moved 15% more patients to the intermediate-risk category needing DXA and 5% more to the high-risk category needing osteoporosis treatment. However, adding Rheumatoid arthritis changed 20% more patients to the intermediate-risk category needing DXA and 7% more to the high-risk category needing osteoporosis treatment. Conclusion Modifying FRAX tool in patients with diabetes mellitus will enable more patients to have a DXA scan and to receive osteoporosis treatment and the strategy using rheumatoid arthritis as a risk factor identified more patients than adding 10 years of age. Disclosure M. Mathew: None. S. Dwivedi: None. H. Buch: None. S. Venkatachalam: None.