Screening for Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures

The USPSTF confirms its 2018 recommendation for screening postmenopausal women, but evidence still is insufficient to make a recommendation for men.

Sponsoring Organization: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

Background

The USPSTF released an updated guideline for screening for osteoporosis to prevent fractures in adults (age, ≥40) without known osteoporosis, conditions likely associated with secondary osteoporosis (i.e., cancer, metabolic bone disease, hyperthyroidism, or glucocorticoid use), or history of fragility fractures. The new guideline generally is consistent with the 2018 recommendations (NEJM JW Gen Med Aug 15 2018 and JAMA 2018; 319:2521), with some refinements related to screening tests and risk assessment.

Key Points

The USPSTF makes the following statements:

Older postmenopausal women (age, ≥65) should be screened for osteoporosis to prevent fractures (moderate-cert…

Reviewing Author

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Disclosures

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