Diagnostic procedures for osteoporosis in the elderly

Abstract

Several recent studies show that bone loss continues in the elderly, and that various regimens are still effective in the elderly to stop bone loss. Thus, diagnostic procedures for osteoporosis should be considered in elderly women, i.e. measurement of bone mass by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the hip, spine or forearm that have been shown to predict the subsequent risk of fractures. The rate of bone turnover, and therefore of bone loss, is quite variable from patient to patient and can be assessed with improved sensitivity and specificity with the new markers that are specific for bone formation and bone resorption.