Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones weak and more likely to break. It affects millions of people around the world and mainly affects older women. Broken bones, such as hip fractures, can cause serious health problems or even lead to death. Finding osteoporosis early through screening could help prevent many fractures and reduce the impact on people’s lives and the healthcare system.

The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence on screening women for osteoporosis in 2019 and again in 2024. The results were unclear. Some studies showed that screening women over the age of 65 slightly lowered the risk of fractures. Other studies showed little or no benefit. Because the results did not agree, the UK National Screening Committee decided not to recommend a national screening programme for women.

The UK National Screening Committee wants to understand the reasons for these mixed results and see if new research provides stronger evidence. This new review will find out:

1.Whether screening women over the age of 65, or younger women with risk factors, helps lower the risk of fractures compared to usual care.

2.Whether osteoporosis screening is cost-effective.

This review is called an “evidence map” and it will include studies published since 2024. Researchers will search scientific databases for studies that report on fractures, harms from screening, or costs.

A second type of review, called an “umbrella review,” will also be done. This will compare the reviews to see why they reached different conclusions. For example, they may have used different methods or looked at different groups of women.

The findings will explain what we know so far about osteoporosis screening and show what more research is needed before a decision can be made.