Recent changes in the United States for Osteoporosis Screening
Recently the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated their 2011 recommendations on screening for osteoporosis. Given by 2020, approximately 12.3 million individuals in the United States older than 50 years are expected to have osteoporosis the latest review was long overdue. Osteoporotic fractures, particularly hip fractures, are associated with limitations in gait, chronic pain and disability, loss of independence, and decreased quality of life, and 21% to 30% of patients who experience a hip fracture die within 1 year. The screening population was postmenopausal women and older men with no known previous osteoporotic fractures and no known comorbid conditions or medication use associated with secondary osteoporosis. The USPSTF found convincing evidence that DEXA testing is the best method for detecting osteoporosis and predicting osteoporotic fractures in women and men. They also found adequate evidence that clinical risk assessment tools (FRAX) are moderately accurate in identifying risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. The USPSTF recommends screening for osteoporosis with DEXA testing to prevent osteoporotic fractures in women 65 years and older. They concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for osteoporosis to prevent osteoporotic fractures in men.
Source: JAMA. 2018;319(24):2521-2531.