FRAX and Exercise: Should Exercise Be Categorized as a Risk Factor in Osteoporotic Patients

Although FRAX (WHO Fracture Risk assessment Tool), developed by the WHO, is a well-validated tool for determining the probability of a major osteoporotic fracture in the next 10 years, it doesn’t include a number of other impact factors such as exercise and nutrition. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in FRAX between subjects with and without exercise habits or intake of calcium/coffee. A significant difference in FRAX was observed between the groups with respect to exercise (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in FRAX, however, between the groups with and without intake of calcium/coffee. Although exercise habits are not included in FRAX, our findings suggest that exercise status influenced other factors included in FRAX. Since exercise is reported to prevent falls and fall-related osteoporotic fractures, including exercise status in FRAX may be more effective for estimating the possibility of future fractures. Further investigation should be conducted to determine whether exercise status is an important risk factor, independent of FRAX, for osteoporotic fractures.