A new analysis suggests that a single bone density measurement and an assessment of fracture history in postmenopausal women may be able to predict fracture risk over a much longer period of time.
The suggestion results from an analysis of data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures that assessed bone mineral density and risk factors in 7,959 older women from 1987 to 1989. Follow-up for fractures continued for 25 years for hip fracture, and for 20 years for any non-vertebral fracture.
The report was published recently in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, according to a media release from Wiley.
“By following this cohort of older women for so long, we show directly that lifetime risk of hip fracture in community-dwelling women over age 75 is extremely high,” the authors write, per the release. “These results strongly support the value of risk assessment and consideration of treatment even in the oldest, highest risk women.”
[Source(s): Wiley, Science Daily]
