Table 1 Summary of criteria described for clinical decision rules to predict low bone mineral density applied in a cohort of 127 post-menopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimation (SCORE)(6)

Score ≥ 6

Points for: Race: 5 if not black

Rheumatoid arthritis: 4 if present

Personal history of minimal trauma fracture after age 45 yrs years: 4 each fracture of the wrist, hip, or rib to a maximum of 12

Age: 3 times first digit of age in yrs

Estrogen therapy: 1 if never used

Weight: -1 times weight in lb divided by 10 and truncated to integer

Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Instrument (ORAI)(4)

Score ≥ 9

Points for: Age: 15 if 75 yrs or older, 9 if 65–74 yrs, 5 if 55–64 yrs

Weight: 9 if <60 kg, 3 if 60.0–69.9 kg

Estrogen use: 2 if not currently taking estrogen

Age, Body Size, No Estrogen (ABONE)(23)

Score ≥ 2

Points for: Age: 1 if > 65 yrs

Weight: if <63.5 kg

Estrogen use: 1 if never used oral contraceptives or estrogen therapy for at least 6 months

Body weight criterion(22)

If Weight <70 kg

Osteoporosis Self Assessment Tool (OST)(8)

Score < 2

Sum of: (Weight – Age) * 0.2 truncated to an integer

Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOFSURF)(7)

Score ≥ 1

Sum of: (Age – 65) * 0.2

Plus 1 point each for

Weight less than 68 kg

Current smoker

Personal history of postmenopausal fracture

Plus 2 points if Weight < 59 kg.

National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF)(21)

Score ≥ 1

One point each for: Age ≥ 65 yrs

Personal history of minimal trauma fracture >40 yrs

Family history of fracture

Current cigarette smoking

Amsterdam rheumatologists score(15)

Score ≥ 2

Points for: Disease activity (mean CPR > 20 mg/l or persistent ESR > 20 mm for the 1^st hour

Age: women > 50 yrs

Immobility: ARA score = 3 or HAQ score ≥ 1.25.

Modified Amsterdam(24)

Score ≥ 3

As per Amsterdam rheumatologist algorithm, with an additional point for each of

Weight: <60 kg

Any previous steroid use