Women Urged to Get Bone Density Tests

A government task force is urging all younger postmenopausal women to be checked for osteoporosis if they have certain risk factors.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is widening the group of women who should consider bone-density tests. The old guidelines included only women over 65, as well as those 60 to 64 at higher risk for fractures. The new guidelines reach to even younger women, provided their risk of a broken bone is the same or greater than the average 65-year-old woman.

For the first time, the group also looked at whether older men should also be checked with a bone test. But the panel decided there isn't enough evidence yet to recommend for or against the scan.

The draft guidelines were posted online Monday for public comment.

www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfix.htm

www.annals.org

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