Older Women Still Need Bone Checks to Prevent Fractures

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends in guidelines published in JAMA that women 65 and older continue screening for osteoporosis to prevent fractures, while some younger women at a higher risk also could benefit from bone tests, reports Reuters . Typically, women with osteoporosis are most often treated with bisphosphonates, which slow the rate at which the body removes old bone, allowing time to regrow bone and make fractures less likely. However, these medications can cause nausea and abdominal pain, and rare but more serious side effects such as cracks in the thighbone or jawbone damage. Alternative treatments include estrogen or two injected medications, denosumab and teriparatide. The task force notes about 12 million American adults age 50 and older will likely develop osteoporosis by 2020.