From:  Osteoporosis: definition, diagnosis, and considerations prior to starting treatment

 Considerations when diagnosing osteoporosis.

ConsiderationImplications for diagnosis
Rule out secondary causes for osteoporosis
  • Vitamin D deficiency

  • Celiac disease

  • Thyroid disease

  • Malabsorption

  • Hyperprolactinemia

  • Rare metabolic bone diseases

  • Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI)

  • Hypophosphatasia (HPP)

  • X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH)

Assure adequate nutrient intake and supplementation if needed
  • Calcium

  • Vitamin D

  • Adequate nutrition and/or supplementation in vegan and vegetarian patients

Consider comorbidities
  • Gastritis and peptic ulcer

  • Hepatic insufficiency

  • Chronic kidney disease

  • Solid organ transplants

  • Malignancies

  • Chronic inflammatory conditions

  • Dementia and cognitive impairment conditions

  • Polypharmacy

  • Lack of resources: socioeconomic and caregiving factors

Avoid mistakes related to DXA measurements
  • Problems in quality control, acquisition, analysis, interpretation and reporting of DXA studies

  • Quantitative comparison of BMD values on the same instrument cannot be made unless a precision assessment has been done and the least significant change calculated

  • Quantitative comparison of BMD values obtained on different instruments cannot be made unless a cross-calibration study has been done

  • Poor-quality DXA reports may result in inappropriate patient care decisions that can be costly and sometimes harmful to patients

BMD: bone mineral density; DXA: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.