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" Women at risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis may benefit from a simple 15-minute screening programme, new research shows. Scientists at the University of Bristol, funded by Arthritis Research UK, looked at 3,000 postmenopausal women. They found that women who were screened in doctors&amp;#039; surgeries were 124 per cent more likely to be given bone-strengthening drugs than those who were not screened. Furthermore, women who were screened had fewer fractures, particularly of the forearm. Dr Emma Clark, who conducted the research, said: &amp;#039;These findings provide powerful evidence that this screening programme should be rolled out nationally to identify who should have a spinal x-ray to diagnose a vertebral fracture.&amp;#039; Dr Clark noted that fewer than one in three women with vertebral fractures are diagnosed and treated properly at present. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Half of women and one in five men over the age of 50 sustain a bone fracture, according to the National Osteoporosis Society. In the majority of cases, these fractures are the result of osteoporosis, which tends to develop in older people. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a21504/simple-screening-programme-reduces-fracture-risk/>