Age at First Osteoporosis Screening Among Older Women and Men: Is Bone Mineral Density Measurement Ordered Timely?

US National Osteoporosis Foundation has specified age cut-offs for osteoporosis screening in older women and men.

In this study, we investigated whether Turkish seniors undergo their first ever osteoporosis screening early, on time or late.

We determined the age of older women and men at their first-time Bone Mass Densitometry (BMD) testing using the medical records of a geriatric outpatient unit. The timing of the BMD test was considered ''late'' when performed after the age of 65 and 70 in women and men, respectively. An "early" screening was defined as having a BMD measurement before these age cut-offs.

We included 481 individuals in the study (mean age: 74.5±6.5 years, women: 62%). On admission, around 18% of the sample could give no definite information and another 35% had never been assessed for osteoporosis. Among those with a past screening, 64.8% reported comorbid osteoporosis and 33% reported no osteoporosis. Mean age of the first-time BMD measurement was 67.4±7.7 years. The first-time BMD measurement was on time in 9.7%, early in 37.4% and late in 52.9% of the subjects. Half of the individuals with a self-reported osteoporosis diagnosis were non-osteoporotic on a new BMD ordered following the geriatric assessment. Multimorbidity (≥3), parental hip fracture, and smoking were the independent predictors of being early screened.

We found two-thirds of women and men unscreened for osteoporosis despite being indicated by age. Early and late screening were both prevalent. Self-reported osteoporosis diagnosis was mostly inconsistent with BMD testing in our sample.