The U.S Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends osteoporosis screening to prevent osteoporotic fractures for all women aged 65 years and older and for postmenopausal women aged younger than 65 years at increased risk. These findings form the basis of a final recommendation statement published online Jan. 14 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Leila C. Kahwati, M.D., M.P.H., from the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center, and colleagues reviewed evidence on osteoporosis screening. The researchers found that three randomized clinical trials and three systematic reviews reported benefits of screening in older, high-risk women. Compared with usual care, screening was associated with reductions in hip and major osteoporotic fractures (pooled relative risks, 0.83 and 0.94, respectively). Per 1,000 participants screened, the corresponding absolute risk differences were five to six fewer fractures.

Based on these findings, the USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that osteoporosis screening to prevent osteoporotic fractures has moderate net benefit for women aged 65 years or older and for postmenopausal women younger than 65 years at increased risk (B recommendations). For preventing osteoporotic fracture in men, the evidence is insufficient and the balance of benefits and harms of screening cannot be determined (I recommendation).

"While screening can identify men who have osteoporosis, we need more evidence on whether or not screening and current treatments prevent fractures in men," task force vice chair John Wong, M.D., said in a statement. "The task force continues to call for more research in men and encourages anyone concerned about their bone health to speak with their clinician."

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