AGS - News - AGS Press Release - Osteoporosis Prevention and Diagnosis May Be Inadequate Among Seniors, Research Released at American Geriatrics Society's Annual Meeting Suggests

For Immediate Release
May 13, 2005

For Further Information:
Barbara Loecher
(212) 308-1414 x308

Osteoporosis Prevention and Diagnosis May Be Inadequate Among Seniors,
Research Released at American Geriatrics Society's Annual Meeting Suggests

Orlando, FL- According to a study released today at the American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting, nursing home residents' diets may not be adequately supplemented with either calcium or vitamin D, two nutrients that can reduce risks of osteoporosis. In addition, standard screening may fail to diagnose osteoporosis in the elderly, according to a second, related study.

The first study, led by Zuleka Hamid, MD, a geriatrics fellow at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, included 109 nursing home residents. Of the residents, average age, 85, just 8% got the recommended 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily, and only 7% got 800 IU of vitamin D daily, Dr. Hamid and colleagues found.

There are a number of drugs that can lower risks of fractures-which can be debilitating, even deadly - in adults who already have osteoporosis. But according to the second study, a commonly used screening test may fail to diagnose osteoporosis in many older adults. The University of Pittsburgh study, headed by Susan L. Greenspan, M.D., a professor of medicine, included 93 adults, ages 65 to 87.

The participants underwent both standard bone mineral density (BMD) screening and screening using newer Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA) technology, which can better detect factures in the spine. IVA found at least one vertebral fracture - irrefutable evidence of osteoporosis - in 59% of the adults. But standard BMD screening diagnosed osteoporosis in just 17%.

About AGS
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (http://www.americangeriatrics.org) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,700 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies and practices in geriatric medicine. The American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, the premier scientific meeting for geriatrics health care providers, educators, and researchers, began May 11 and runs through May 15.