High Alcohol Intake in Older Men and the Probability of Osteoporotic Fracture According to the FRAX Algorithm

We aimed to determine the contribution of high alcohol intake to fracture probability, calculated using a fracture-risk assessment tool (FRAX). Participants were 262 men (ages 60–90 y) in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Alcohol consumption was documented via a food frequency questionnaire; 46 (17.6%) consumed three or more units per day, fulfilling the criterion for high alcohol intake. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. We determined FRAX probabilities (%) for major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) and hip fracture (HF), calculated with and without alcohol intake. Thresholds for high FRAX probabilities, calculated with or without BMD, were ≥20% for MOF and ≥3% for HF. Proportions of men with high HF-FRAX probabilities were consistently greater for drinkers compared with non-drinkers. For drinkers, paired differences showed that median MOF-FRAX(withoutBMD) probabilities calculated with and without alcohol changed by −2.3, HF-FRAX(withoutBMD) by −1.7, MOF-FRAX(withBMD) by −1.4, and HF-FRAX(withBMD) by −0.9 (all p < 0.001). We estimated that, should drinkers lower their alcohol consumption to <3 units/d, up to 66.7% of those at high risk for MOF and up to 41.0% at high risk for HF would reduce their FRAX probabilities to below the thresholds for high fracture risk. In the context of the Australian environment, these data describe the extent to which older men with high alcohol consumption are at increased risk for fracture.