Capsule Commentary on VanGompel et al., Incidence and Predictors of Repeat Bone Mineral Densitometry: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Excerpt

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in women 65 years of age and older, and in younger women with an increased fracture risk.1 VanGompel and colleagues studied physicians’ use of repeat DXA among 6000 women aged 40–84 who received initial DXA screening within a regional health system in California.2 The vast majority (72%) were younger than 65. Osteoporosis was found in 14% of women; 13% had a high risk of progression to osteoporosis, while most (74%) had a low risk of progression. An osteoporosis drug was prescribed for only 68.9% of those with osteoporosis, but was given to 19.1% of women at low risk. Among those untreated, only 60% of high-risk women had follow-up scans within 5 years, though 43% of women at low risk of progression were scanned. Among treated women, median time to repeat DXA was 3 years. Patients in both the treated and untreated groups who were followed by an endocrinologist were more likely to have repeat DXA. …