Cardiometabolic Risk's Impact on Bone Health

Friday, October 14 at 3:35 PM

In today's session, "Cardiometabolic Risk and Impact on Bone Health," primary care physicians can expect to gain insight into the pathophysiology and factors that contribute to higher fracture risk in cardiometabolic conditions, as well as review the benefits and limitations of fracture risk prediction tools for individuals with cardiometabolic risk.

Speaker Cheryl Lambing, MD, FAAFP, a clinical professor in the department of family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, will also share guidance on implementing a patient-centered approach to managing patients with cardiometabolic conditions to reduce risk of fractures. Lambing plans to discuss the prediction, diagnostic tools, and "safe and effective" treatment of these patients, evaluating the "strong evidence" for exercise, calcium, and vitamin D sufficiency for reduced fractures and falls.

In addition, she will analyze the strong relationship between bone density and bone strength, noting that past research has found that bone density accounts for 60% to 80% of bone strength in untreated patients, and is the "best early predictor of fracture risk," in addition to permitting diagnosis before fractures.

Lambing's talk will also analyze FRAX, a fracture risk prediction model developed by the World Health Organization for worldwide use, which combines bone mineral density and clinical risk factors to predict fracture risk better than either can do on its own. However, the model may underestimate fracture risk, as factors such as falls and frailty, as well as other variables that increase fracture risk independently of their effect on bone mineral density, are not included in FRAX.

"Patients with cardiometabolic conditions demonstrate higher than expected fractures, considering routine clinical risk factors, bone density information, and/or fracture risk prediction tools," says Lambing. Primary care physicians taking part in the session, she says, can "gain a better understanding as to the contributing factors, pathophysiology, emerging data, and controversies to improve shared decision making by translating available research into practical clinical discussions."

—Mark McGraw