Screening for Osteoporosis in Men Aged 70 Years and Older in a Primary Care Setting in the United States

Osteoporosis in men is an underrecognized and undertreated condition. Despite the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommending osteoporosis screening in men aged 70 years and older since 2008, screening rates in the United States remain undefined. In our study, we analyzed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening rates in a primary care setting. Overall, screening rates were low (11.3%). Although there was an increase with age in both the 10-year osteoporotic and 10-year hip fracture probabilities, no association was found between increased age and bone mineral density testing using DXA. Only 23.2% of patients were prescribed bone protective treatments. The performance of DXA screening strongly predicted prescription of bone protective treatment. Increased age raised the likelihood of bone protective treatment prescriptions; however, smokers were less likely to be prescribed these medications. As the population in the United States ages, an increased awareness of this major public health problem is warranted.