How Often Should Women Have Bone Tests?

bone lExperts recommend that older women have regular bone density tests to screen for osteoporosis. But it's been unclear how often to repeat the tests. A study of nearly 5,000 women now reports that patients with healthy bone density on their first test might safely wait 15 years before getting rescreened.

Osteoporosis is a disorder marked by weakened bones and an increased risk of fractures. More than 40 million people nationwide either have osteoporosis or are at increased risk for broken bones because of low bone mineral density (osteopenia).

Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” because it usually progresses slowly and without symptoms until a fracture occurs. en low bone density is identified early through screening, lifestyle changes and therapies can help protect bone health and reduce the risk of fractures. That's why the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine screening of bone mineral density for women ages 65 and older.

To help doctors decide how often to repeat bone density tests in women who don't have osteoporosis at their initial screening, a research team led by Dr. Margaret Gourlay of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed data on nearly 5,000 women, age 67 or older. The women were participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a long-term nationwide study supported by NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute on Aging (NIA) and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).

Researchers divided the women divided into 4 groups based on initial bone density tests that were either normal or showed mild, moderate or advanced osteopenia. They were given 2 to 5 bone density tests at varying intervals during the 15-year study period.


 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

the scientists found that less than 1% of women who initially had normal bone mineral density went on to develop osteoporosis during the study. Only 5% of those with mildly low bone density at the start made the transition to osteoporosis. Overall, the data suggest that women in these 2 categories might safely wait about 15 years before being rescreened for osteoporosis.

The scientists also found that about 1 in 10 women with moderate osteopenia at baseline developed osteoporosis within 5 years. For those with advanced osteopenia at the start, about 10% had developed osteoporosis within a year, suggesting that 1-year screening intervals might be advisable for this group.

If a woman's bone density at age 67 is very good, then she doesn't need to be rescreened in 2 years or 3 years, because we're not likely to see much change,” Gourlay says. Our study found it would take about 15 years for 10% of women in the highest bone density ranges to develop osteoporosis. That was longer than we expected, and it's great news for this group of women.

These findings can help guide doctors in their bone screening recommendations. Other risk factors, such age, medications or specific diseases, would also influence screening frequency.


  • http://www. niams. nih. gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/default.

  • http://www. nia. nih.

  • http://www. niams. nih. bone_mass_measure.

  • http://newsinhealth. nih. gov/2010/February/feature1.

Article Source:

http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/january2012/01302012bone.htm

AVAILABLE LANGUAGES

English Afrikaans Arabic Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Danish Dutch Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Malay Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese

follow InnerSelf on

facebook icontwitter iconyoutube iconinstagram iconpintrest iconrss icon

 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

Thursday, 15 April 2021 07:10

Blooming flowers, chirping birds and long-awaited rays of sunshine: The first signs of spring are often greeted with joy. But soon comes the realization that with warm weather comes ticks. 

Wednesday, 21 April 2021 07:23

Whether it’s your arthritic relative who knows rain is on the way when their knees ache or your lifelong pal who gets a headache when a storm is approaching, we all know somebody who claims they...

Wednesday, 12 May 2021 08:30

In 2019, Burger King Sweden released a plant-based burger, the Rebel Whopper, and the reaction was underwhelming. So, the company challenged its customers to taste the difference.

Tuesday, 25 July 2023 16:09

Volunteering in late life may be more than just a noble act of giving back to the community; it could be a critical factor in safeguarding the brain against cognitive decline and dementia.

Wednesday, 28 April 2021 08:51

Insects are attracted to landscapes where flowering plants of the same species are grouped together and create big blocks of color, according to new research.

Tuesday, 20 April 2021 08:05

Wild bees are essential for sustaining the landscapes we love. A healthy community of wild pollinators ensures that most flowering plants have an A-team pollinator species and a reserve bench of...

New Attitudes - New Possibilities

InnerSelf.comClimateImpactNews.com | InnerPower.net
MightyNatural.com | WholisticPolitics.com | InnerSelf Market
Copyright ©1985 - 2021 InnerSelf Publications. All Rights Reserved.