Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Osteoporosis Screening: When Should You Start?
A person with osteoporosis typically has low bone mass, poor bone quality and fragile bones. This combination, together with the increased risk of falling among older people, leads to painful fractures and other health problems. Screening for osteoporosis can help identify those who are at risk before they develop full-blown osteoporosis. When should you start getting screened for osteoporosis? Here’s what Johns Hopkins advises …
If you’re a woman, the consensus has long been that you should have your first bone density screening for osteoporosis no later than age 65, while men should begin getting tested when they turn 70. After your first test, you can safely wait between two and five years to go in for another screening.
But getting screened earlier for osteoporosis may be better for some women, according to new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. If you’re a woman at high risk for osteoporosis, the independent advisory body says you should have your first screening as early as 50.
Factors putting you at high risk for osteoporosis include being postmenopausal with a family history of osteoporosis, use of tobacco, calcium or vitamin D deficiency, having a slight build and any bone break after the age of 50.
If that sounds like a lot to keep track of, it is. To get the most accurate picture of your risk of osteoporosis, experts recommend that postmenopausal women younger than 65 complete a risk factor assessment with their physician to determine when they should start regular bone density testing.
The good news? Most insurance plans will cover a bone density test for osteoporosis, which tends to be a fairly simple procedure.
For strategies on preventing osteoporosis, visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.nof.org.
Posted in Osteoporosis on July 15, 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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