To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Ultrasound Exam May Predict Risk for Fractures From Osteoporosis in Elderly Women URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2242EE.htm Doctor's Guide June 24, 2008
NEW YORK -- June 24, 2008 -- An ultrasound exam of the heel may be able to predict if a woman is at heightened risk for fractures due to osteoporosis, according to a new multicentre study, which will be published in the July issue of Radiology. Along with certain risk factors, including age or recent fall, radiation-free ultrasound of the heel may be used to better select women who need further bone density testing, such as a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) exam. "Osteoporosis is a major public health issue expected to increase in association with worldwide ageing of the population," said lead author Idris Guessous, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. "The incidence of osteoporosis will outpace economic resources, and the development of strategies to better identify women who need to be tested is crucial." "Patients with osteoporosis are not optimally treated because of a lack of general awareness," Dr. Guessous said. "A simple prediction rule might be a useful clinical tool for healthcare providers to optimise osteoporosis screening." The 3-year study included 6,174 women aged 70 to 85 with no previous formal diagnosis of osteoporosis. Patients were screened with heel-bone quantitative ultrasound (QUS). QUS was used to calculate the stiffness index at the heel. Researchers added in risk factors such as age, history of fractures, or a recent fall to the results of the heel-bone ultrasound to develop a predictive rule to estimate the risk of fractures. The results showed that 1,464 women (23.7%) were considered as lower risk for osteoporotic fracture, and 4,710 (76.3%) were considered higher risk. Study participants were mailed questionnaires every 6 months for up to 32 months to record any changes in medical conditions, including illness, changes in medications, or any fracture. If a fracture had occurred, the patients were asked to specify the fracture's precise location and trauma level and to include a medical report from the physician in charge. In the group of women who were at higher risk, 290 (6.1%) developed fractures whereas only 27 (1.8%) of the women in the lower risk group developed fractures. Among the 66 women who developed a hip fracture, 60 (90%) were in the higher risk group. The results show that heel QUS is not only effective in identifying high-risk patients who should receive further testing, but it may also be helpful in identifying patients for whom further testing can be avoided. "Heel QUS in conjunction with clinical risk factors can be used to identify a population at a very low fracture probability in which no further diagnostic evaluation may be necessary," said Dr. Guessous. SOURCE: Radiological Society of North America --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.