Research
Mixed
Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is an imperfect predictor of fracture risk because it fails to account for bone size, geometry, quality, and turnover rates, leading to potential misinterpretation of intervention efficacy.
Do not rely solely on BMD (DXA scan) results to determine your fracture risk or the success of your treatment. Bone strength involves geometry, quality, and fall risk. Focus on overall bone health strategies (nutrition, exercise, fall prevention) rather than just trying to 'raise your number'.
StrongRefutesHIGH confidence
Although there is firm evidence that bone mineral measurements are good predictors of fracture risk, the importance of increasing BMC or BMD for reducing fracture risk is less clear.
Why this rating
The paper synthesizes multiple epidemiological and biomechanical arguments to challenge the BMD-fracture assumption.
Source
Diet, nutrition and the prevention of osteoporosis
Ann Prentice · Public Health Nutrition · 2004
narrative_reviewCited 338×
Read the paper This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →