OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENING
WHAT DOES THE US PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS? ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
The US Preventive Services Task Force provides guidelines for screening for a multitude of diseases and conditions, updated periodically. Osteoporosis guidelines were recently released, but provide no new guidance for physicians. Michele Bellantoni, a geriatrics expert at Johns Hopkins, says she takes each patient on a case by case basis.
BELLANTONI: I individualize my approach to the person, looking at their risks. So someone with osteopenia, bone density below normal, we recommend the initial screening at age 65, we drop it back to age 60 if there are additional risk factors, such as leanness, cigarette smoking, family history of osteoporosis. When the initial study is osteopenia I then begin a treatment plan based on the individual’s preferences and ability to comply with the program based on their other medical needs. :30
Bellantoni says the DEXA scan remains the best imaging method for screening. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.
