Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry Screening Research Articles

High Prevalence of Osteopathy in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Cross-sectional Analysis From the PROCEED Study

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is associated with osteopathy (osteoporosis or osteopenia). However, existing literature is mostly limited to retrospective or administrative studies that have not clearly defined the prevalence and risk factors. Our aim was to identify patient- and disease-related associations with osteopathy in a prospective cohort study of CP. We studied 282 subjects with definitive CP enrolled in the PROCEED study who had a baseline dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Osteopenia and osteoporosis were defined using the lowest T-scores. Clinical data were collected using standardized case report forms. Comparisons were performed with a multivariate logistic regression model with forward selection to identify risk factors for osteopathy. The majority of subjects had osteopathy on DXA scan (56.0%; 17.0% osteoporosis; 39.0% osteopenia). Subjects with osteopathy had a higher prevalence of traumatic (40.0% vs 26.4%; P= .02) and spontaneous fractures (3.9% vs 0; P= .04). On multivariate analysis, older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.29 per 5 years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.45), female sex (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.75-5.43), white race (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.20-6.01), and underweight body mass index category (OR, 7.40; 95% CI, 1.56-34.99) were associated with higher probability of osteopathy. There were no significant associations between osteopathy and other patient and disease-related features of CP. In the largest study of patients with CP who underwent DXA screening, the majority had osteopathy. There are overlapping risk factors with osteopathy in the general population, but the high prevalence in men and younger women supports the need for future investigations into the mechanisms of bone loss in CP. gov number, NCT03099850.

Implementation of a pharmacist and student pharmacist–led primary care service to identify and treat rural veterans at risk for osteoporotic fracture

ObjectiveTo develop and implement a pharmacist and student pharmacist–led osteoporosis service to increase dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening rates among rural veterans and treat those at high risk of osteoporotic fractures. Practice descriptionPharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide direct patient care in the Department of Veterans Affairs ambulatory care setting owing to their broad scope of practice. Clinical Pharmacy Specialists (CPSs) have the authority to order laboratory tests and imaging, prescribe medications, refer patients to specialty services, and monitor patients along with the primary care team. Practice innovationThe implementation of a pharmacist-led osteoporosis primary prevention service using student pharmacists to identify and treat patients has not been previously described in the literature to the authors’ knowledge. Evaluation methodsStudent pharmacists in their third year contacted veterans who met the inclusion criteria for osteoporosis screening. The veterans were offered DXA scans and provided education on the risk factors for osteoporosis. After the DXA scans were completed, the students and the CPS reviewed the results to determine treatment strategies. The primary objective was evaluated by comparing the pre- and post-implementation rates of DXA screening. The other process markers that were evaluated included (1) completed DXA scans, (2) new diagnoses of osteoporosis or osteopenia, (3) patients eligible for treatment on the basis of the DXA screening results, and (4) patients who started oral bisphosphonate therapy. ResultsOf the 232 rural veterans evaluated, 36 had completed DXA scans before this service was implemented. After the service was implemented, 115 veterans completed DXA scans. A total of 57 patients received a new diagnosis, 33 were eligible for therapy, and 12 started oral bisphosphonate therapy after intervention by the CPS. ConclusionThe implementation of a pharmacist-driven osteoporosis screening and treatment service demonstrated an increase in the rate of DXA screening among rural veterans.

Evaluation of the 10 Years' Association Between DXA Screening and Mortality in Patients Who Received Vertebroplasty in the Taiwan Population.

BackgroundOsteoporotic fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality affecting population worldwide. All guidelines recommended vertebral fracture assessment by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This study aimed at evaluation of any associated benefits of screening with DXA in patients who had received vertebroplasty in Taiwan.MethodsData were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. We retrospectively compared the data of patients, who were admitted for vertebroplasty, whether they received DXA screening or not. The outcomes of interest were recurrence of spinal fracture and mortality during a follow-up period of 10 years.ResultsFrom this Taiwan national database, the screening rate of osteoporosis in patient who received vertebroplasty was 11.7%. The mean age in the non-DXA screened cohort (n=32,986) was 74.03±12.21 years (71.98% female). In the DXA screened cohort (n=4361), the mean age was 76.43±9.19 years (79.91% female). During the 10-year follow-up period, after matching, non-DXA patients had significantly higher mortality rates than their DXA counterparts, which were 42.37% and 37.73% (p-value < 0.0001), respectively. The re-fracture rates between non-DXA and DXA patients were not significantly different at 17.26% and 16.89% (p-value = 0.1766), respectively.ConclusionThe rate of DXA screening before patients receiving vertebroplasty was extremely low, at 11.7%. Our results showed that DXA screening before vertebroplasty in spinal fractures patients had lower mortality. From this national retrospective cohort study, routine screening of osteoporosis in spinal fracture patients can lead to reduction in mortality.

Evaluation of Provider Screening Practices for Fracture Risk Assessment among Patients with HIV Disease.

People living with HIV are known to have greater risk of low bone mineral density than HIV-negative peers. The reasons for this disparity are multifactorial. To address this increased risk, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released fracture risk screening recommendations in 2015, which differ significantly from recommendations that apply to the general population. A study was conducted at the University of Connecticut to assess for provider awareness and adherence to these recommendations. Electronic surveys were sent to providers, and patients were also surveyed for risk factors and prevalence of low bone mineral density. The results of the provider survey showed low rates of awareness of the IDSA screening recommendations. A substantial proportion of patients surveyed met criteria for low BMD screening but did not have dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) ordered by their provider. As an intervention, providers were sent information via e-mail regarding current screening recommendations, as well as notifications if their patient met criteria for DXA screening. A twelve-month follow-up survey showed increased provider knowledge of screening recommendations and improved screening practices. Additionally, the results of a logistic regression analysis of patient factors showed that increasing age and male sex were positively associated with fragility fracture risk. Increased duration of antiretroviral therapy use was associated with a lower likelihood of fragility fracture.

Lumbar Scoliosis in Postmenopausal Women Increases with Age but is not Associated with Osteoporosis.

ContextThe contribution of lumbar scoliosis to osteoporosis is unknown.ObjectiveThis work aimed to determine the prevalence and relationship of lumbar scoliosis to osteoporosis in aging women.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of randomly selected groups of postmenopausal women (64-68, 74-78, and 84-88 years; N = 300 each) in a university teaching hospital from 2014 to 2019. Lumbar Cobb angle was tested for an association to femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH), and spine T score, age, weight, and ethnicity. Logistic regression tested an association between scoliosis (Cobb angle > 10°) and osteoporosis (T score ≤ –2.5). Available sequential DXA scans (N = 51) were analyzed for changes in Cobb angle using a linear mixed model of these longitudinal data.ResultsOsteoporosis and Cobb angle both increased with age: from 22% and 4.4 (SD = 7.8) respectively in 64- to 68-year-olds to 32.9% and to 9.7 (SD = 9.2) in women age 84 to 88 years. The prevalence of clinically significant scoliosis rose from 11.5% in the youngest group, to 27.3% and 39.4% in the age 74 to 78 and 84 to 88 cohorts, respectively. Cobb angle increased 0.7° per year of follow-up. After adjusting for covariates, there was no significant association between T scores at any site (TH, FN, or spine) and Cobb angle.ConclusionBased on screening DXAs, the incidence and degree of lumbar scoliosis increases significantly in women between age 65 and 85 years. There was no association between the incidence of lumbar scoliosis and FN bone density.

Clinical Criteria Can Identify Children With Osteopenia in Newly Diagnosed Crohn Disease.

Chronic inflammation of Crohn disease (CD) is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD). As bone mass is almost exclusively accrued during childhood, early recognition of osteopenia is especially important in pediatric CD. We aimed to identify variables associated with osteopenia to guide dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan screening to those who most need it. This was a retrospective inception cohort study of children newly diagnosed with CD, and routinely referred to DXA scans. Demographic and explicit clinical data were recorded along with whole-body less head BMD, adjusted for age, sex, and height by z-scores. Of the 116 included children (mean age 13 ± 3.1 years, 67 [58%] boys, mean body mass index [BMI] 16.7 ± 2.6), 63 (54%) had normal BMD (z-score > -1) or borderline osteopenia (-1 ≥ z-score > -2) and 53 (46%) had osteopenia (z-score ≤ -2). Osteopenia was associated with lower BMI z-score (-0.8 ± 1.2 vs -1.8 ± 1.1, P < 0.001) and higher PCDAI (33.7 ± 15.2 vs 25.7 ± 16.5; P = 0.009) than those with BMD z-score >-2. In total, 59% of children with BMI z-score <-0.5 had moderate-severe osteopenia and only 18% of those with higher z-scores. Multivariate logistic regression identified BMI z-score as the sole risk factor (OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.08-1.52], P = 0.005). BMI z-score ≥-0.5 excludes osteopenia with a sensitivity 87%, specificity 49%, NPV 82%, and PPV 59%. Osteopenia was found in nearly half of children with newly onset CD. BMI z-score <-0.5 should prompt referral to DXA screening.

Distal radius fracture: An opportunity for osteoporosis intervention

Background Distal radius fractures have been reported as a predictor of subsequent osteoporotic fragility fractures. This retrospective study evaluated the proportion of patients with distal radius fractures at a government hospital in Hong Kong who received diagnostic evaluation or treatment for osteoporosis within 1 year. Methods Five hundred sixty-one postmenopausal women aged &gt;50 years admitted to a public hospital between 2013 and 2017 for a low-energy distal radius fracture were analysed for initiation of osteoporosis medications and/or arrangement of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry screening within 1 year of injury. Results Within 1 year, 8.4% of patients were prescribed osteoporosis medication and 6.1% of patients had dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry arranged. Patients with a previous fracture were more likely to receive osteoporosis medication (18.6% vs 7.5%, P = 0.012) and either intervention (screening or medication) overall (23.3% vs 10.4%, P = 0.011). Conclusions Few postmenopausal women who suffered a distal radius fracture received osteoporosis intervention within 1 year. Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of the possibility of underlying osteoporosis and opportunity for intervention when managing fragility distal radius fractures.

Bone Mineral Density: Clinical Relevance and Quantitative Assessment.

Bone mineral density (BMD) measurement by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is an internationally accepted standard-of-care screening tool used to assess fragility-fracture risk. Society guidelines have recommended which populations may benefit from DXA screening and the use of the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) to guide decisions regarding pharmacologic treatment for osteoporosis. According to the U.S. National Osteoporosis Foundation guidelines, postmenopausal women and men at least 50 y old with osteopenic BMD warrant pharmacologic treatment if they have a FRAX-calculated 10-y probability of at least 3% for hip fracture or at least 20% for major osteoporotic fracture. Patients with osteoporosis defined by a clinical event, namely a fragility fracture, or with an osteoporotic BMD should also be treated. Patients who are treated for osteoporosis should be monitored regularly to track expected gains in BMD by serial DXA scans. With some drug therapies, BMD targets can be reached whereby further improvements in BMD are not associated with further reductions in fracture risk. Although reaching this target might suggest a stopping point for therapy, the reversibility of most treatments for osteoporosis, except for the bisphosphonates, has dampened enthusiasm for this approach. In the case of denosumab, it is now apparent that stopping therapy at any point can lead to an increase in multiple-fracture risk. For patients who do not respond to antiosteoporosis pharmacologic therapy with an improvement in BMD, or who have an incident fragility fracture on therapy, secondary causes of osteoporosis or non-compliance with medical therapy should be considered.

Bone Mineral Density at the Time of Initiating Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy Is Associated With Decreased Fractures in Women With Breast Cancer.

Women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer who receive an aromatase inhibitor (AI) are at risk for fractures. We aim to determine if dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans made at the time of AI initiation are associated with decreased fractures. We retrospectively identified 25,158 women with local or regional breast cancer diagnosed between 2005 and 2013 who received AI therapy between 2007 and 2013 from the Medicare-linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and Texas Cancer Registry databases. We defined baseline DXA screening using claims made between 1 year before and 6 months after each patient's first AI claim to examine determinants of baseline screening using a multivariable GENMOD model. We included a propensity score adjustment in Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between time-varying DXA screening and the risk of fractures. Additionally, we compared the use of antiresorptive therapy drugs between the two groups. Of the study cohort, 14,738 (58.6%) received DXA screening. The screening rates increased annually from 52.1% in 2007 to 61.7% in 2013. Higher screening rates were observed in patients with younger age, married status, non-Hispanic white race, localized disease, fewer comorbidities, more than one type of aromatase inhibitor drug claim, no state buy-in (surrogate for low socioeconomic status), higher education level, and prior osteoporosis diagnosis. Baseline DXA screening was associated with decreased risk of subsequent fractures (hazard ratio=0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-0.97, p < .001) after multivariable and propensity score adjustment. Bone-modifying drugs were prescribed to 4440 (30.1%) patients with screening compared with 1766 (16.9%) without (p < .001). Of the 4440 patients who received treatment, 95% received bisphosphonates. Our study demonstrated baseline DXA screening was associated with a decreased risk of fractures and a higher likelihood of receiving antiresorptive therapies. Improvement of the baseline DXA screening is still needed in practice. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

The Irish dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) Health Informatics Prediction (HIP) for Osteoporosis Project

PurposeThe purpose of the Irish dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) Health Informatics Prediction (HIP) for Osteoporosis Project is to create a large retrospective cohort of adults in Ireland to examine the...

Osteopenia and osteoporosis among treatment-experienced people living with HIV

IntroductionLife expectancy of people living with human immunodeficiency (PLHIV) has increased mainly due to the accessibility and effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, adverse effects from long-term use of antiretrovirals, and the physiological changes associated with aging, may compromise the quality of life of PLHIV, in addition to causing new demands on the healthcare system. ObjectivesEstimate the frequency of osteoporosis and osteopenia in patients on prolonged ART and to verify their associated factors. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from August 2017 to June 2018, in a sample of PLHIV (age ≥ 18 years) who started ART between 2001 and 2005. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, physical evaluation, laboratory tests, and Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Screening (DEXA). The outcome of interest was presence of bone alteration, defined as presence of osteopenia or osteoporosis in DEXA. The association between the explanatory variables and the event was assessed through odds ratio (OR) estimate, with 95% confidence interval (CI). Multiple logistic regression was performed to evaluate factors independently associated with bone alteration. ResultsAmong 92 participants, 47.8% presented bone alteration (19.6% osteoporosis and 28.2% osteopenia). The variables that remained in the final logistic regression model were age ≥ 50 years (OR: 12.53; 95% CI: 4.37–35.90) and current alcohol use (OR: 2.63; 95% CI: 0.94–7.37). ConclusionsThis study showed a high frequency of bone changes, especially in PLHIV older than 50 years. This information is useful to stimulate the screening and timely intervention of this comorbidity of PLHIV on prolonged use of ART in order to prevent or minimize complications and new demands on the healthcare system.

SAT-384 Identification of Heterozygous LRP5 Mutation and a TGFβ-1 Variant of Unknown Significance in a Patient with Hearing Loss, High Bone Mass, and Oropharyngeal Exostoses

Background: Manifestations of the high bone mass (HBM) disorders not only include strong bones, but also excessive bones causing cranial nerve palsies and oropharyngeal exostoses. Due to overlap of clinical phenotype in dense bone diseases, one or more distinct genes may be involved. Up-regulation in bone formation can result from gain of function mutation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5), which mediates activation of the canonical Wnt pathway via co-binding with the frizzled protein, but may also be a consequence of activating mutations in the transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ-1) gene that associate with stimulated osteogenesis. Clinical Case: Here we report a 41 year-old woman referred for incidentally found dense bones on screening dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) that led to subsequent revelation of several family members sharing similar histories including inability to float in water, strong bones on skeletal surgery, and presence of palatal exostoses. Her childhood history included mandibular pain developing at age 15 years due to bony overgrowth of her lower jaw requiring multiple drilling for removal. At age 33, she manifested trigeminal neuralgia initially responsive to medical management but eventually needed microvascular decompression for unremitting pain. Preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) noted significant hyperostosis of the skull as well as mild narrowing of internal auditory canals, for which auditory testing showing mild mixed hearing loss in her right ear. Skeletal survey revealed diffuse thickening of axial and appendicular skeleton with characteristic endosteal hyperostosis. DXA demonstrated Z scores of +8.3 and +5.3 in the lumbar spine and total hip, respectively. Torus palatinus was also identified on exam. Mutational analysis disclosed a heterozygous LRP5 missense mutation, c.844A>G, p.Met282Val, together with a variant of unknown significance in TGFβ-1 (c.887G>A, p.Arg296Gln) possibly linked to Camurati-Engelmann disease (progressive diaphyseal dysplasia). As transmission in both conditions follows an autosomal dominant pattern, multigenerational family history was elicited from patient that her mother, who underwent knee replacement in her 80’s, was described by the surgeon as “having bones of a 30-year old man,” and that her deceased maternal grandmother possibly had “thickened” bones. Half of patient’s 18 siblings reportedly also carry features suggestive of high bone mass phenotype. Genetic testing of family members is planned. Conclusion: While HBM disorders protect against fractures, it is important to recognize that these relatively benign conditions may present with neurological and oropharyngeal complications prompting the need for their surveillance and surgical precautions during orthopedic procedures.

High detection rate of osteoporosis with screening of a general hospitalized population: a 6-year study in 6406 patients in a university hospital setting

BackgroundOsteoporosis is a highly prevalent disease identified by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) that can be performed in an ambulatory (out-patient) or hospitalized population. We evaluated the use of baseline in-hospital DEXA screening to identify osteoporosis in ambulatory care and hospitalized patients; we also assessed specific risk factors for osteoporosis among these populations.MethodsWe included a baseline initial DEXA from 6406 consecutive patients at our tertiary referral University Hospital.ResultsOsteoporosis was diagnosed in 22.3% of the study population. In univariate analysis, osteoporosis risk factors were age, fracture history and low BMI (for all 3 sites), but also corticotherapy (lumbar spine and femoral neck) and male (lumbar spine). In multivariate analysis, age, fracture history, low BMI, and male increased osteoporosis risk. In-hospital screening yielded a higher percentage of osteoporosis positive scans than ambulatory care screening (31.8% vs 18.5%, p < 0.001). In-hospital screening targeted an older and more predominantly male population with a higher fracture history. Z-scores revealed that this difference was not only due to an older age of the population and mainly concerned cortical bone.ConclusionsIn-hospital osteoporosis screening revealed more osteoporosis than screening in ambulatory practice and could be an additional tool to improve the identification and management of osteoporosis. In addition to typical risk factors, we identified male gender as associated with osteoporosis detection in our cohort.

760. Assessment of DEXA Scan Ordering Among Infectious Disease Providers at a Large Tertiary-Care Urban Academic Center in the Midwest

BackgroundOsteoporosis is compromised bone strength that predisposes to fracture. It can be diagnosed by Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurement of bone mineral density (BMD). Persons with HIV (PWH) are at higher risk for the development of osteoporosis. As such, the HIV Medicine Association’s (HIVMA) primary care guidelines recommend DEXA screening for all HIV-infected postmenopausal women and men aged ≥50 years. The purpose of this study was to asses the frequency of DEXA utilization within a tertiary-care urban academic center in the Midwest and to identify prevalence of osteoporosis.MethodsA representative sample PWH age ≥50 from our institution’s outpatient infectious disease (ID) clinic were included. All subjects had at least one clinic visit in the last year, were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and virally suppressed. Unblinded chart review was performed to assess if DEXA was ordered, was DEXA ordered by an ID physician, was DEXA completed, results of DEXA, and whether patients were on a tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-containing regimen.Results225 charts were reviewed. 186 (83%) patients were men, with a median age of 58 (range of 50–85). DEXA scans were ordered on 39 (17%) patients, 9 (23%) of which were ordered by their ID provider. Twenty-eight (72%) DEXA scans were performed. Of scans completed, 11 (39%) diagnosed osteoporosis, 15 (54%) osteopenia, and 2 (7%) showed normal BMD. Of all charts reviewed, 29 (13%) were on TDF-containing regimens. Of those individuals with diagnosed abnormal BMD (26), only 1 (4%) was on a TDF-containing regimen.ConclusionDespite HIVMA’s recommendation for osteoporosis screening in PWH, only 17% of eligible patients with well-controlled HIV in our clinic had been referred for DEXA. Of those who had undergone DEXA screening, nearly all (93%) had abnormal BMD. Further investigation is necessary to explore provider and patient barriers for osteoporosis screening in PWH.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Correlation between MCI/Sapori screening tools and DXA results and between MCI/Sapori and Frax tool for estimating fracture risk

Background: Peripheral Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can be applied to identify low bone mineral density (BMD) patients, however, DXA is not sufficiently available in many countries. Thus, the use of simpler and cheaper screening tools than DXA to detect low BMD become indispensable. Objectives: The objective of this study was to correlate São Paulo osteoporosis risk index (Sapori) and mandibular cortical index (MCI) screening tools with the femur DXA results of patients in our sample of Brazilian women. A secondary objective was to assess which of these screening tools better correlates with the results of the Frax tool. Material and Methods: Exams of women who had undergone panoramic radiographic examination at the beginning of dental treatment and peripheral DXA for screening osteoporosis from 2010 to 2014 were included. The MCI was evaluated, and Sapori and Frax were calculated with their available online software tools. Spearman correlation was performed to analyse the level of correlation between femur T-scores (and MCI and Sapori values, as well to perform the level of correlation between Frax and MCI and Sapori values. Results: The spearman correlation comparing the numerical T-score values and the categorical values of MCI (rs=-0.274), and of Sapori (rs=-0.470), showed a statistically significant inverse correlation for both equations (p&lt;0.01). The Spearman equation comparing the values obtained with Frax and MCI did not show a statistically signifcant correlation (p&gt;0.01). But the equation comparing the values obtained with Frax and Sapori showed a positive, moderate and statistically significant correlation between them (rs=0.460). Conclusion: MCI is not a reliable screening tool to identify women with low BMD or Osteoporosis, whereas more optimistic results were observed for the Sapori.

Estimating Waist and Hip Circumference from Routine Clinical DXA

Introduction: Waist circumference and waist:hip ratio have body mass index-independent detrimental effects on health and mortality. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the lumbar spine and hip can provide site-specific measures of soft-tissue thickness, and we hypothesized that this could be used to opportunistically estimate body circumference in patients undergoing DXA for osteoporosis assessment. Methodology: We assessed the correlation and explained variance (as coefficient of determination, R2) between directly measured body circumference (waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist:hip circumference ratio) with DXA-derived measures of soft tissue thickness (spine DXA tissue thickness, hip DXA tissue thickness, and spine:hip tissue thickness ratio) in 214 women and 96 men (mean age 66.1 and 63.7 yr, respectively) undergoing DXA screening for osteoporosis. Results: DXA-derived spine tissue thickness explained most of the variance in measured waist circumference (female R2 0.90, male R2 0.88). Explained variance was slightly lower for measured hip circumference (female R2 0.87, male R2 0.76) and waist:hip ratio (female R2 0.68, male R2 0.72). Final models predicted waist circumference with an adjusted R2 0.91, hip circumference with R2 0.86, and waist:hip ratio with R2 0.70. Conclusion: Routine clinical DXA measurements of the spine and hip can be used to estimate body circumference measurements.

Reasons for Initiation and Discontinuation of Pharmacological Therapies for Osteoporosis in Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders

Medications for osteoporosis have not been reported to reduce fracture rates in patients with spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI/D), yet these medications are still prescribed. Clinical decision-making underscoring the initiation and discontinuation of osteoporosis medications in SCI/D remains poorly understood. Veterans with a SCI/D with at least one prescription for an osteoporosis medication (bisphosphonate, calcitonin, denosumab, raloxifene, and teriparatide) who received healthcare within Veterans Affairs (VA) from 2005 to 2015 were identified using VA administrative databases. A 10% subsample of Veterans was selected for electronic health record review. Two hundred and sixty-seven Veterans with 330 prescriptions underwent electronic health record review. Bisphosphonates were the most frequently prescribed medication for osteoporosis (n = 223, 67.6%). Of the 187 Veterans with prescriptions for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis, the primary reason for initiation was Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan with osteopenia or osteoporosis (n = 119, 63.6% of Veterans), primarily at the hip (81.0% of DXAs). The majority (79.0%) of DXAs were "screening tests," with SCI/D being the sole reason for the scan. Fractures (n = 51, 27.3%) and fall risk concerns (n = 29, 15.5%) were other major reasons for initiation. On average, oral bisphosphonates were filled for <3 yr, with medication-related side effects (n = 23, 15.8% of bisphosphonates discontinued), predominately gastrointestinal (n = 17, 73.9% of reported side effects), the most common reason for discontinuation. Drug holidays occurred in 14.3% of 35 oral bisphosphonates used for ≥5 yr. No cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw were found. There was one case of an atypical femoral fracture which could not be confirmed. The decision to initiate pharmacological therapies in SCI/D is primarily based on osteopenia or osteoporosis at the hip by screening DXAs. Gastrointestinal side effects are the major reason for discontinuation of oral bisphosphonates. New therapies for osteoporosis in SCI/D are needed.

P021 The potential impact of provider gender on IBD management

BACKGROUND: Health maintenance guidelines have been published to ensure optimal clinical outcomes for individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with recommendations including the evaluation of bone density, eye, and skin health. However, it has been suggested that there is variability in adherence to health maintenance recommendations. This study evaluated both the gender of providers discussing health maintenance with patients, and the overall rate of physicians' recommendations for Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, vitamin D levels, ophthalmologic exams, and skin protective measures at an urban university medical center. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed evaluating all IBD patients seen at a university gastroenterology clinic over a 5-year period was performed. Patients' IBD diagnosis, recommendations for DXA, vitamin D levels, ophthalmologic exams, and skin protective measures (sunscreen and/or dermatology referral) were obtained. Patient and physician gender were recorded. A database was generated using Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's Exact Test with significance set at P &lt; 0.05. The study was approved by the IRB. RESULTS: 393 IBD patients were identified (175 males, 218 females) with mean age of 44.4 (age range: 20–82). 279 (71.0%) had Ulcerative Colitis (UC), 96 (24.4%) had Crohn's disease (CD), 7 (1.8%) with unspecified colitis, and 11 (2.8%) had microscopic colitis. Of the 393 patients, 279 (71.0%) were seen by male providers and 114 (29.0%) were seen by female providers. 249 (63.4%) patients had vitamin D and 110 (28%) had DXA scans performed. Ophthalmologic referrals were offered to 125 (27.8%). 83 (21.1%) were counseled about skin protective measures and given dermatology referrals. Significantly more female providers recommended vitamin D (P = 0.015), DXA screening (P = 0.027), ophthalmologic evaluations (P &lt; 0.0001) and dermatologic referrals (P &lt; 0.0001) compared to male providers. There was no significant difference of the performance of health maintenance recommendations based upon disease type. CONCLUSION(S): This study revealed that there was inconsistent adherence to IBD health maintenance recommendations. While female physicians more frequently recommended vitamin D screening, DXA scans, ophthalmologic examinations, and skin evaluations, there was a clear need to improve screening by all physicians. While this study was limited based upon retrospective design, small sample size, and single institution cohort, it provides a foundation for future research that addresses IBD management. Increased efforts to optimize IBD care will improve overall clinical outcomes.

SAT-538 A Dedicated Inpatient Bone Health Team Improves Screening Rates for Osteoporosis

BACKGROUND: Published reports continue to indicate osteoporosis is under-diagnosed in the United States and most significantly in men, with published rates of screening in primary care settings repeatedly below 20%; this despite that fact that men have been shown to have higher rates of fracture-related morbidity and mortality when compared to women (Cheng N, Green ME.. We have previously published how an interdisciplinary Bone Health Team (BHT) improves screening rates in the outpatient setting. Here we describe the results of identifying individuals for screening in the inpatient setting. METHODS: Over the course of 3 months, on 5 of 7 days per week, all patients on the inpatient medical wards of our hospital were reviewed for age-based screening eligibility (aged 70 years of over in men, aged 65 or over in women) based upon current National Osteoporosis Foundation and Endocrine Society guidelines. All individuals felt clinically appropriate for DXA and/or treatment recommendations were also earmarked for outpatient BHT follow-up. RESULTS: Of the 203 individuals identified as meeting age-based criteria, 200 (98.5%) were men and 3 (0.015%) were women, with ages ranging from 70 to 98, and with 48 (23.6%) having had dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) studies in the 2 years prior to identification (28 (58.3%) of which were performed by our outpatient program) and 13 (6.4%) with DXAs >2 years prior (range 3-11 years). Two had previously received recommendations for DXAs but had refused. Charts of all 155 (76.4% of the 203) without recent DXAs were reviewed: DXA was not felt to be clinically useful but treatment recommendations based upon fracture history were made in 7 (4.5% of the 155); 33 (21.2%) did not have DXA recommended related to goals of care; 18 (11.6%) received inpatient DXA recommendations and a post-hospital contact but declined the study; 5 (3.2%) were not local and would not have had follow-up; 4 (2.6%) did not get the recommended DXA for unclear reasons; 1 (0.6%) died during the hospitalization. Notably, of the 155 age-eligible without a DXA in the last 2 years, 87 (56.1% (42.9% of the total age-eligible)) went on to complete a DXA within the next 3 months. CONCLUSION: When compared to published rates for primary care, a dedicated inpatient BHT results in higher rates of DXA screening completion in those meeting age-based criteria.

Comparative studies of bone density by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan

Background: The aim of the study was to establish the correlation quantitative ultrasound (QUS) between and dual-energy X-ray absorp­tiometry (DEXA) and to assess the ability of QUS as a screening tool for osteoporosis.&#x0D; Methods: The study was conducted on 115 patients. All the patients underwent QUS of radius using Sunlight MiniOmni bone sonometer and DEXA screening for measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine, total left &amp; femoral neck and radius.&#x0D; Results: Significant correlations were observed between QUS and DEXA T score.&#x0D; Conclusions: QUS is a sensitive screening tool to detect changes in the bone mass and risk of osteoporosis.