Doctors may advise some younger women to be screened for loss of bone mass.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is proposing a major change in its recommendations for osteoporosis screening, one that would include screening of younger women who are at high risk of developing the disease that can lead to painful bone fractures.

It's important to note that this is draft recommendation only, and doctors and nurses should not yet change their treatment plans according to the proposed changes in the guidelines. "We are taking public comments for four weeks, and the final recommendation could change based on that input," explains Says Ned Calonge, MD, MPH, chair of the USPSTF and chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

THE DETAILS: Dr. Calonge explains that a major change from the last version of the recommendation is that the age cutoff of 60 years for high-risk women would be removed, opening the door to test younger high-risk women. "Women age 65 and older should be screened, along with postmenopausal women under age 65 whose risk for a fracture is the same as a 65-year-old," says Dr. Calonge. "But, using available tools to calculate risk, a woman as young as 50 years could still be considered for screening, and with a low bone mineral density, benefit from therapy."

Additionally, the USPSTF looked at screening men for the first time, and concluded there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against screening.