Information and tools to assist in understanding and assessing risks factors for bone health, breast cancer and cardivascular disease.

• Are you at risk of breast cancer?

• Are you at risk of cardiovascular disease? 

• Are you at risk of osteoporotic fracture? 

• Know your bones - online tool from Osteoporosis Australia and Garvan Institute of Medical Research that helps adults assess their likelihood of fractures, including those diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis

• Know your chances - USA National Cancer Institute website wioth interactive pie charts describing the chance that someone of your sex, race and age will die – from anything - in the next 10 years

• Statin/Aspirin Choice Decision Aid - risk calculator allows you to use one of three methods of assessing your risk of cardiovascular disease and whether you should be on extra medication. It should be used in consultation with your doctor.
• Risk Checker - 5 minute health questionnaire - helps people understand their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease and importantly, know what steps to take next to reduce their risk

Glossary of Terms

A description of words and terms used in menopause and women's health is available from:

Glossary of Terms

Content updated February 2020

FRAX® tool

The FRAX® tool has been developed by WHO to evaluate fracture risk of patients. It is based on individual patient models that integrate the risks associated with clinical risk factors as well as bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck.

The FRAX® models have been developed from studying population-based cohorts from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. In their most sophisticated form, the FRAX® tool is computer-driven and is available on this site. Several simplified paper versions, based on the number of risk factors are also available, and can be downloaded for office use.

The FRAX® algorithms give the 10-year probability of fracture. The output is a 10-year probability of hip fracture and the 10-year probability of a major osteoporotic fracture (clinical spine, forearm, hip or shoulder fracture).

There is a version available for

• Australia 
• New Zealand 
• other areas

See the FRAX® website at https://www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX/index.aspx 

Osteoporosis Risk Check Online 

The IOF Osteoporosis Risk Check is intended as a tool to raise awareness of factors which are known to increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. This risk check is not a diagnostic tool: only a doctor can diagnose osteoporosis. Although the replies are generated based on information you provide, they are general in nature and may not be relevant to your individual circumstances. Please consult a doctor to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

 http://riskcheck.iofbonehealth.org/

Osteoporosis Risk Check Leaflet -  Osteoporosis Risk Check Leaflet

Content updated October 2019

Bone fracture risk assessment: 

An Australian-first bone health self-assessment tool designed to help consumers understand their bone fracture risk has been produced by Osteoporosis Australia and Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

www.knowyourbones.org.au

The processs involves completing the assessment to generate a report which can be saved for discussion with your doctor.

Content upated 24 June 2016

The National Cancer Institute of the US has developed a website of interactive risk charts to put cancer in context.

It's difficult to read a newspaper or magazine, watch television, or surf the Internet without hearing about cancer. Unfortunately, these messages are often missing basic facts needed for people to understand their chance of cancer: the magnitude of the chance and how it compares with the chance of other diseases.

Risk charts present these basic facts by showing the chance of dying from a variety of cancer and other diseases over specific time frames. Because age, sex and race are so important in determining your chances, the charts let you account for these factors. While other factors make an important difference (like smoking or having a serious disease run in your family), the numbers from the charts will get you into the right ballpark.

In the image below we have chosen a female age 50 years to view risk.

Go to http://knowyourchances.cancer.gov/your_chances.php to view your own age. 

Content updated 13 January 2016

The risk calculator allows you to use one of three methods of assessing your risk of cardiovascular disease and whether you should be on extra medication. It should be used in consultation with your doctor.

The best known is the Framingham calculator which has been used for many years. The Reynolds calculator has been designed specifically for women and the AHA/ACC calculator is the newest. You do need to know your blood pressure and cholesterol results.

The Framingham calculator allows you to use Australian and New Zealand results more easily than the two other options. 

Go to http://statindecisionaid.mayoclinic.org/ 

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Brief instructions on use

Go to website http://statindecisionaid.mayoclinic.org/

 Select Current Risk

Select Framingham and enter details then select Current Risk at base of screen 

 The risk is calculated then you can see what would happen with intervention

Current and Future Risk are compared 

Content updated February 2014

The risk of a woman developing hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), particularly of the arteries which supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries) increases with age. 

It is uncertain whether oestrogen deficiency after menopause accelerates atherosclerosis over and above that due to ageing.

Non-modifiable risk factors:

• increasing age
• having family history of heart disease

A number of modifiable factors influence a woman's risk of developing atherosclerosis and the
Heart Foundation (https://www.heartfoundation.org.au) provides information about risk reduction for each factor:

• smoking - both active smoking and being exposed  to second-hand smoke
• high blood cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• being physically inactive
• being overweight
• depression, social isolation and lack of quality support

See  Know your risks:
https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/know-your-risks

Content Updates 22 June 2016