Osteoporosis Screening

If you or your doctor thinks you may be at risk for Reference osteoporosis Opens New Window, you may have a screening test to check your bone thickness. A screening test may be advisable if you have:

• A Reference fracture Opens New Window in a minor injury that may have been caused by osteoporosis.
• Another Reference medical condition that is known to cause bone thinning.
• Reference Risk factors for, or symptoms that suggest, osteoporosis.

The Reference U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Opens New Window (USPSTF) recommends that all women age 65 and older routinely have a Reference bone density test to test for osteoporosis. If you are at increased risk for broken bones caused by osteoporosis, routine testing should start sooner.^{Reference 1} USPSTF recommends that you and your doctor check your fracture risk using a tool such as FRAX to help decide whether you should be screened for osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and when to start bone density screening.

The FRAX tool was developed by the World Health Organization to help predict your risk of having a fracture related to osteoporosis in the next 10 years. You can use this tool. Go to the website at www.sheffield.ac.uk/FRAX, and click on Calculation Tool. If you have had a bone density test on your hip, you can type in your score. If you have not had that test, you can leave the score blank.

Most experts recommend that the decision to test younger women be made on an individual basis, depending on the risk of osteoporosis and whether the test results will help with treatment decisions. To help you decide whether you should be tested for osteoporosis, see:

Opens New Window Osteoporosis: Should I Have a Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) Test? Opens New Window

Experts suggest that older men talk to their doctors about osteoporosis and have Reference bone density Opens New Window tests if they are at Reference risk.^{Reference 2}

For more information, see the topic Osteoporosis.

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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.