Osteoporosis Risk Calculator

An Osteoporosis Risk Calculator helps you estimate your chance of a major osteoporotic fracture over the next 10 years. It combines age, sex, weight, and classic risk factors — the same variables used in the validated FRAX® (WHO), OST, and QFracture (used in UK primary care) tools.

What drives osteoporosis risk

This tool weighs the risk factors clinicians use most often:

• Age — bone density peaks around age 30 and declines from there, especially after menopause.
• Sex — women lose bone rapidly in the decade after menopause; men lose more gradually.
• Body weight — low BMI (< 19) substantially increases fracture risk.
• Previous fragility fracture — the single strongest predictor of a future one.
• Parental hip fracture — genetic component; roughly doubles risk.
• Smoking and alcohol > 3 units/day.
• Long-term oral steroids, rheumatoid arthritis, early menopause, hyperthyroidism, coeliac disease.

Interpreting the result

The output is a qualitative risk band — Low, Moderate, or High — calibrated to match roughly the FRAX 10-year major osteoporotic fracture thresholds used in UK (NOGG) and US (NOF) guidelines:

• Low — lifestyle measures (vitamin D, calcium, weight-bearing exercise). No DEXA scan needed unless a fracture occurs.
• Moderate — discuss a DEXA bone density scan with your GP or doctor to refine risk.
• High — DEXA plus likely pharmacologic treatment (bisphosphonates, denosumab, HRT, etc.) depending on context.

🇺🇸 US guidance

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends bone density screening for all women aged 65 and over, and for younger postmenopausal women with elevated FRAX risk. Medicare covers DEXA every 2 years. The treatment threshold in most US practice is a FRAX 10-year major osteoporotic fracture risk ≥ 20% or hip fracture risk ≥ 3%.

🇬🇧 UK guidance

NICE CG146 and the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) use age-specific FRAX intervention thresholds — a 58-year-old woman has a lower treatment threshold than a 78-year-old. The NHS DEXA scan is typically arranged via GP referral. QFracture is the UK's alternative risk tool built from UK primary care data and used directly in the NHS Risk Calculator.

How to lower your risk

• Vitamin D — 400–800 IU daily (NHS advises supplementation Oct–Mar in the UK).
• Calcium — 1,000–1,200 mg/day from diet; supplements only if dietary intake is low.
• Weight-bearing exercise — brisk walking, dancing, resistance training 30 min most days.
• Stop smoking; limit alcohol to < 14 UK units / 14 US drinks per week.
• Falls prevention — balance training (tai chi, yoga), good footwear, remove home trip hazards.