Most experts recommend osteoporosis screening with bone-density scans for all women age 65 and older, but the ideal interval for follow-up testing remains unclear. A study published in January in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggests that older women with normal bone density or mild osteopenia (low bone mass) on an initial screening can safely wait up to about 17 years to have their next bone-density test. But the study has several limitations, a Cleveland Clinic expert points out, and the findings dont necessarily apply to you. You shouldnt assume that everyone with mild osteopenia can wait 17 years, says Chad Deal, MD, head of the Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease at Cleveland Clinic. You have to individualize.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber.
Sign in
