GPs can now access a tool that helps osteoporosis patients better understand their risk of a premature death due to fractures, by providing their ‘skeletal age’.

Sydney researchers say their new metric is the sum of the chronological age of a patient, plus the estimated years of life lost following a fracture. 

Co-lead author and University of Technology Sydney researcher Dr Thach Tran, says currently doctors and patients discuss fracture risk in terms of probability. 

“A disadvantage of probability is that it can be hard to comprehend, with patients often perceiving a 5% risk of death following a hip fracture over a five-year period as a 95% chance of surviving a hip fracture,” Dr Tran said.