People over 85 years not effectively treated for osteoporosis

People over the age of 85 years are not being treated as effectively for osteoporosis as they need to be, according to a new UK study published in Osteoporosis International.
Experts assessed the management of osteoporosis in 739 people who were 85 years old; most were women. They found that 33.7% had one or more fragility fractures, and 332 fractures occurring in these 249 people. Of these, 38% had experienced a fall in the last 12 months.
But a formal documented diagnosis of osteoporosis had only been recorded in 12.4% of cases, even though osteoporosis treatment would be recommended in 35% of these patients according to standardised guidelines.
A further 26.1% were identified as needing bone mineral density measurement, with women shown to be more likely than men to need treatment.
Out of the 249 individuals identified as requiring assistance, only 74 were receiving adequate osteoporosis treatment.
Fragility fractures are a major cause of mortality, morbidity and health and social service expenditure among older people.
“The prevalence of high fracture risk in the very old is much higher than the documented diagnosis of osteoporosis or the use of adequate treatments,” the research team says.