Assessing Fracture Risk Might Be as Easy as Asking About Balance

Why do some women with osteoporosis sustain fractures while others do not? The answer might be that some women are more likely than others to fall. Researchers examined this hypothesis in a study of twins who were identified through the Swedish Twin Registry. In telephone interviews, 23,487 twins (age range, 55–88) answered “yes” or “no” to the question, “Do you have impaired balance?” Fracture history was obtained through a national hospital discharge registry and self-reports during the initial interview; incident fractures were identified through the discharge registry. Individuals who had sustained similar fractures before study entry were excluded because balance could have been affected by previous fractures.

Overall, 12% of participan…