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FRAX tool in type 2 diabetic subjects: the use of HbA1c in estimating fracture risk

Acta Diabetologica volume 55, pages 1043–1050 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Aims

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an increased risk of fractures, despite having greater bone mineral density (BMD) than non-diabetic subjects. This has led to the hypothesis that the presence of impaired bone quality among diabetics reduces bone strength. The Fracture Risk Assessment Score (FRAX) algorithm, introduced to facilitate the evaluation of fracture risk, underestimates the risk of fracture in diabetic patients. The purpose of this study is to confirm the relationship between the degree of metabolic compensation and the 10-year probability of a major fracture or a hip osteoporotic fracture observed in our previous study and to ascertain whether glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) can improve the predictive value of FRAX in patients with T2DM.

Methods

Our data derive from a retrospective clinical study conducted at the “Tor Vergata” Polyclinic in Rome on 6355 subjects over 50 years of age evaluated for osteoporosis. All available clinical records were examined. HbA1c was available for 242 of these subjects and all had had a Dual-energy X-ray Absorption (DXA) scan of the lumbar spine and femoral neck. The risk of fracture was estimated using the Italian version of the FRAX algorithm.

Result

Patients with T2DM had BMD and T-scores higher than those of non-diabetic subjects, while FRAX average values were higher in the non-diabetic group. HbA1c and FRAX are inversely correlated with each other: for each incremental percentage point of HbA1c growth, the FRAX major osteoporotic fracture probability is reduced by 0.915 points and the FRAX hip osteoporotic fracture probability by 1.438 points. The introduction of a correction factor derived from HbA1c, resulted in mean FRAX values of diabetic patients equivalent to those of non-diabetic subjects.

Conclusions

We propose a correction factor derived from HbA1c that could enhance the predictive ability of fracture risk estimated by the FRAX algorithm in subjects with T2DM.

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Abbreviations

BMD:

Bone mineral density

DXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

FRAX:

Fracture Risk Assessment Score

HbA1c:

Glycosylated hemoglobin

RA:

Rheumatoid arthritis

T2DM:

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

T1DM:

Type 1 diabetes mellitus

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Funding

The study was in part supported by PRIN 2015.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systems’ Medicine, University of Roma “Tor Vergata”, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy

    Alessia Valentini, Maria Assunta Cianfarani, Livia De Meo, Pasquale Morabito, Daniele Romanello, Massimo Federici & Aldo Bertoli

  2. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Roma “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy

    Umberto Tarantino

Authors
  1. Alessia Valentini
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  2. Maria Assunta Cianfarani
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  3. Livia De Meo
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  4. Pasquale Morabito
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  5. Daniele Romanello
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  6. Umberto Tarantino
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  7. Massimo Federici
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  8. Aldo Bertoli
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Contributions

AB, AV and MAC participated in the study concept and design, selection of subjects and data, analysis and interpretation of data, and manuscript preparation. UT and MF participated in the study concept and design, as well as in the selection of participants. LDM, PM and DR participated in the selection of subjects and data. All authors contributed toward drafting and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aldo Bertoli.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Polyclinic “Tor Vergata” and was carried out according to the last version of Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Additional information

Managed by Antonio Secchi.

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Cite this article

Valentini, A., Cianfarani, M.A., De Meo, L. et al. FRAX tool in type 2 diabetic subjects: the use of HbA1c in estimating fracture risk. Acta Diabetol 55, 1043–1050 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-018-1187-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-018-1187-y

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