Performance of the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Screening Tool for osteoporosis in American men

To determine whether the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool (OST) can predict central bone mineral density in men, as defined by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

We applied the OST index to men in pulmonary (evaluated January-May 2001) and rheumatology (evaluated November 2001-March 2002) clinics at a veterans hospital. The calculated OST risk index is based on weight and age.

In 181 men, we arbitrarily defined osteoporosis as a DXA T score of -25 or less in the spine, total hip, or femoral neck. The mean age and weight of the men were 64.3 years and 91.2 kg; 15.6% had osteoporosis by DXA. The OST index ranged from -5 to 19, from which we categorized risk as follows: low, 4 or greater; moderate,-1 to 3; and high, -2 or less. Only 2.0% of men with a low-risk OST index had osteoporosis, whereas 27.0% with a moderate risk and 72.7% with a high risk had osteoporosis. Using an OST cutoff score of 3, we predicted osteoporosis with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 66%. When patients were studied by age in decades, race, or current glucocorticoid use, the predictive value of the OST was maintained.

The OST is an easy method to predict osteoporosis by DXA.