Screening for osteoporosis 'can be effective in preventing hip fractures'

Providing women with opportunities to attend community screening forosteoporosis could significantly reduce the number of hip fractures they suffer. This is the conclusion of a new study led by the University of East Anglia, with funding by the Medical Research Council andArthritis Research UK, which has suggested that screening could catch as many as one-quarter of all hip fractures before they happen. How the screening works The study brought together researchers from universities across the country, with a total of 12,483 women aged 70 to 85 recruited from 100 GP practices in seven regions - Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield, Southampton and York. A tool called FRAX - which predicts the probability of a hip fracture or a major osteoporotic fracture - was used to identify older women at high risk, with treatment subsequently recommended for one in seven women deemed at high risk of hip fracture. This recommendation was acted upon by the women and their GPs, meaning that more than three-quarters of women deemed to be at high risk were receiving osteoporosis medications within six months of screening. Although screening did not reduce the incidence of all osteoporosis-related fractures, there was strong evidence for a reduction in hip fractures, with 54 fewer women suffering one or more hip fractures compared to those receiving routine care. Among women agreeing to participate in the study, a 28 per cent reduction in hip fractures was estimated over fiv...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news