Osteoporosis Risk Calculator

The osteoporosis risk calculator calculates your osteoporosis risk in no time! Our tool includes three different risk scores:

• OST score for men and women — taking into account your age and weight;
• SCORE for women — evaluating 6 different risk factors; and
• MORES score for men — adding the risk factor COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) to the calculation.

Continue reading to discover the formulas behind our osteoporosis risk calculator, as well as the symptoms and treatment options for this condition. We will tell you all about bone density and what causes osteoporosis, as well as introduce you to practical tips that keep your bones happy and healthy. Let’s dive in!

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines osteoporosis as a T-score of -2.5 or lower. The T-score is calculated by comparing your bone density to that of a healthy young adult. It helps assess whether excessive bone loss is occurring.

🦴 Osteoporosis is a condition that decreases bone density in the whole body. Or, in easier terms, it’s a sneaky bone thief that makes them weaker over time. It mainly affects older women and turns even a small slip into a major event.

Osteoporosis is the breakdown of bones. There are several processes in our body that can contribute to this unfavorable outcome. The causes of osteoporosis can be divided into two main categories:

1. Primary Osteoporosis

This form develops due to natural changes in the body, particularly with aging. This occurs due to a decline in new bone formation with age or an estrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women.

2. Secondary Osteoporosis

This type results from medical conditions, such as:

• Hormonal disorders — we need our estrogen;
• Chronic inflammatory diseases — inflammatory messengers activate bone resorption;
• Neuromuscular diseases — lack of exercise weakens your bones;
• Gastrointestinal diseases — if you can't absorb your Vitamin D, your bones aren't happy;
• Malnutrition — did you eat enough calcium?;
• Certain medications — for example cortisone induces bone resorption; and
• Other diseases that lead to a reduction in bone density and cause osteoporosis symptoms.

Several factors can increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis, including:

• 👵 Older age — bone density naturally decreases over time;
• 👩 Female gender — hormonal changes play a significant role here;
• 🌍 Ethnicity – some groups are more prone to bone loss;
• 🏚 Family history of fractures — too bad you cannot pick your genes;
• 🚶 Lack of physical activity — your GP wasn’t lying about the importance of this one;
• 🚬 Lifestyle factors — smoking and excessive alcohol;
• 💊 Certain medications — long-term use of steroids can contribute to bone loss; and
• 📉 Low BMI — being underweight is a risk factor for osteoporosis.

If you're curious about how the osteoporosis risk calculator works or how to calculate the risk manually, stay tuned. We'll walk through all the formulas and factors involved. Different formulas use different risk factors. For example, the OST (Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool), which applies to both biological sexes, relies only on age and weight. You can find the exact formula below:

There are also gender-specific calculations that help assess the risk of developing osteoporosis. The SCORE (Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimation) for women is a more complex formula that requires more details:

1. Age — in years;
2. Weight — in lbs;
3. Ethnicity — Black or African American or others;
4. Fractures — traumatic or non-traumatic and how often;
5. Rheumatoid arthritis — present or not; and
6. Prior estrogen usage — yes or no.

All non-numerical factors have an assigned score you can find in the table below:

Next, you apply all numerical and non-numerical factors to the SCORE formula:

where:

• EtS — Ethnicity Score;
• FS — Fracture Score;
• RS — Rheumatoid Arthritis Score; and
• ES — Estrogen Score.

There is also a specific formula for men — MORES (Male Osteoporosis Risk Estimation Score). Next to weight and age, it also considers COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Different age and weight categories have their unique scores:

Once you've assigned the categories to your case, you can calculate MORES with this formula:

📋 Here is a quick step-by-step on how to use the osteoporosis risk calculator:

1. Choose your biological sex.

2. Enter your age and weight. You can choose any weight unit you prefer.

   For men:

   3. Indicate if you are suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

   For women:

   3. Give your ethnicity.
   4. Indicate if and how many fractures you have had.
   5. Tick the checkbox if you have rheumatoid arthritis.
   6. Note if you have taken estrogen supplements.

 That's it! The result of the osteoporosis risk calculator is displayed in the blink of an eye.

💪 Calculating your osteoporosis risk is really that easy! Just provide us with all the information, and we will do the work.

Our calculator doesn't just throw a random number at you — we go the extra mile and tell you exactly which risk group you fall into! But if you are curious about the reference ranges for the score results, you can check them out in the tables below:

OST

With this score, we need to differentiate between men and women, as their score may fall in a different risk category:

• Low risk — above 1 (women) or above 3 (men);
• Moderate risk — -3 to 1 (women) or -1 to 3 (men); and
• High risk — below -3 (women) or below -1 (men).

SCORE

Women should interpret their SCORE accordingly:

• Low risk — below 7;
• Moderate risk — 7 to 15; and
• High risk — above 15.

MORES

A little more to the point — MORES for men has only 2 categories:

• Low risk — below 6; and
• High risk — 6 and higher.

Let us take a look at an example case. Let's assume you are a 65-year-old woman with a SCORE of 17 and an OST of -7. Both of those values relate to the high-risk group for osteoporosis. You should take very good care of your bones and consult your doctor about bone density testing.

Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” because it progresses unnoticed until a fracture, the telltale sign, occurs. Other possible symptoms include:

• Back pain and rounding of the back;
• Delayed fracture healing; and
• Loss of height over time.

Any non-traumatic fracture — meaning a fracture that occurred without an accident — should be a warning sign for osteoporosis. It's usually the first symptom of the disease, so be aware!

The goal of osteoporosis treatment is to strengthen bones and prevent fractures. This can be achieved through:

• Regular physical activity 🏃‍♂️;
• A bone-friendly diet🥦; and
• Ditching bad habits! Smoking and excessive alcohol are not your friends 🚫.

Remember that prevention is always better than treatment. That means that we have to ALWAYS watch our lifestyle. Do not just start taking care of your body when you develop symptoms. That being said, regular physical activity, a bone-friendly diet, and ditching bad habits starts now — no matter the result of your osteoporosis risk assessment.

Perhaps you remember that your mother always told you to drink milk to build strong bones. That's because of the calcium and vitamin D it contains.

Eat your way to stronger bones with:

🥛 Dairy products – A great source of calcium, you can find it in:

• Cottage cheese;
• Yogurt;
• Cheese; and
• Milk.

🐟 Fatty fish – Rich in vitamin D, essential for calcium absorption, and can be found in:

• Salmon;
• Mackerel;
• Herring; and
• Sardines.

🥬 Leafy greens – Packed with magnesium & vitamin K and present in these veggies:

• Spinach;
• Cabbage;
• Broccoli; and
• Kale.

🍊 Vitamin C-rich fruits – get yourself a smoothie with:

• Oranges;
• Lemons;
• Grapefruit; and
• red bell peppers.

That's how you maintain a healthy diet for osteoporosis; We hope our grocery list inspired a few recipes!