Optimizing Bone Health in Diabetes: Strategies for Fracture Risk Reduction in Public Healthcare.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, we explore the under-recognized burden of fractures in diabetes, focusing on resource-constrained healthcare systems. We examine the epidemiology, assessment methodologies, and management approaches to osteoporosis in diabetes and discuss strategies to improve skeletal health outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS: Public healthcare strategies for fracture risk reduction in diabetes include educating healthcare providers, empowering patients, and integrating fracture liaison services for secondary prevention. Community-based awareness programs, digital health solutions, and screening tools such as FRAX® (with diabetes-specific adjustments) facilitate early identification and management. Policies supporting insurance coverage and cost-effective management strategies are likewise crucial. Diabetes-related bone fragility, characterized by altered bone quality and increased fracture risk despite relatively preserved bone density, creates a significant yet underrecognized health burden. Fracture prevention in diabetes is both a clinical necessity and an economic imperative. In this expanding cohort, multidisciplinary, policy-supported strategies can reduce morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with fragility fractures.