A population-based cohort study reported that physician-diagnosed osteoporosis—and particularly osteoporotic fractures—was associated with higher subsequent risk of dementia among older adults. [1] Even if causality remains unsettled, the direction is clinically useful: osteoporosis may function as a risk-context flag for broader geriatric vulnerability (falls, frailty, cognition).
Practical “tactics” to consider now:
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Treat osteoporosis visits as a geriatric checkpoint: brief cognitive screen when history suggests vulnerability, plus medication review (sedatives, anticholinergics) and fall-risk workup.
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Integrate fracture prevention with brain-health counseling (mobility, vision/hearing, sleep, exercise), since the interventions overlap.
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Document fractures as dual-risk events (skeletal + neurocognitive monitoring).
References
- Wang J, Wang S, Jin C, et al. Osteoporosis and risk of dementia among older adults: a population-based cohort study. Bone Res. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41413-025-00480-7
PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41423696/