Personalized bone density thresholds to better predict fractures in minority women

Does Creating Person-specific Precision Thresholds Enhance the Ability of a Single Bone Density Measure to Predict Fractures in Minority Women?

NIH-funded research Ohio State University · NIH-11238456

This project will see if tailoring bone density cutoffs to each person helps doctors spot fracture risk for minority women.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionOhio State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11238456 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This work will combine bone mineral density results, genetic information, and demographic details from large patient records to create person-specific precision thresholds (PPTs) for bone health. Researchers will compare how well a single BMD test predicts future fractures when using PPTs versus standard one-size-fits-all cutoffs. The project focuses on minority women to correct biases that arose when older thresholds were built mainly from Caucasian samples. The team will mainly analyze existing scans, health records, and genetic data, so it may not require new invasive testing.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are women from racial or ethnic minority groups who have had or can share bone mineral density (BMD) measurements and relevant health records.

Not a fit: People without BMD tests, many men, or patients whose care does not rely on BMD-based decisions may not see direct benefit in the near term.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce misdiagnoses and help more minority women get timely prevention and treatment for fracture risk.

How similar studies have performed: Some personalized fracture-risk tools exist, but creating person-specific BMD thresholds that account for genetics and race is a novel approach that has not been widely tested.

Where this research is happening

Columbus, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.