Selecting men for bone densitometry: performance of osteoporosis risk assessment tools in Portuguese men

Clinicians need tools to identify patients most likely to benefit from bone mineral density (BMD) testing, for which cost-effectiveness does not allow generalized screening. This study supports the utility of osteoporosis risk assessment tools in selecting men for BMD testing. Different cutoff values may be appropriate for different countries and/or ethnic origins.

Our aim was to evaluate the utility of three osteoporosis (OP) risk assessment tools in a large group of Portuguese men aged 50 or more and to determine the best cutoff value to be used for selecting men for bone densitometry.

We assessed the performance of three simple tools in 202 randomly selected men: body weight criterion (BWC), osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA), and a modified version of the OSTA equation (OST). Previously published cutoff values (validated in postmenopausal women) and three additional cutoff values were tested. Sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), predictive values, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve for correctly selecting men with OP (defined by BMD testing) were determined.

Mean age of the cohort was 63.8 years. According to the World Health Organization diagnostic categories, 16.8% had osteoporosis. The best performing cutoffs for correctly selecting men with OP for BMD testing were OST < 3 (SE = 75.5%, SP = 50.0%, AUROC = 0.632), OSTA < 3 (SE = 73.5%, SP = 58.3%, AUROC = 0.659), and BWC < 75 kg (SE = 73.5%, SP = 61.3%, AUROC = 0.674).

OP risk assessment tools seem to be useful in men aged 50 or more. Best cutoff values are different from those recommended for postmenopausal women. Different cutoff values may be appropriate for different countries and/or ethnic origins.