Does menopause always justify bone density testing?

A conservative assessment of the rate of bone loss in the first few years after menopause or cessation of hormone therapy is about 1% per year from the spine and proximal femur. At first glance, 1% per year does not appear worrisome. But within 10 years of menopause, at or about the age of only 60, 10% of the bone mass that was present at menopause is gone. In 15 years, at least 15% is gone because of estrogen deficiency.

Unquestionably, many women have stopped ERT or HRT or are choosing not to begin, due to media attention on negative findings from trials such as the combined-continuous HRT arm of the Wo men’s Health Initiative (WHI) and the Heart and Estrogen Replacement Study (HERS-I). Reviews of the National Prescription Audit database and National Disease and Therapeutic Index database confirmed a subsequent marked drop in prescriptions for ERT or HRT,⁸ despite WHI findings showing that combined-continuous HRT significantly reduces the risk of spine and hip fracture.⁹

Anne:Onset of hot flashes is a “teachable moment”

“Anne,” a 53-year-old Caucasian woman, has come to see you because of hot flashes that have begun to trouble her since her menstrual periods stopped 8 months ago.

Although she knows that estrogen replacement would help relieve her hot flashes, she is uncertain whether to use it, having heard negative media reports about WHI findings. She has no family or personal history of breast cancer, but is very frightened at even the slightest possibility of increasing her personal risk for breast cancer. She is 5’5” tall and weighs 120 lb. She broke her right wrist in a fall at age 46.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Though Anne’s visit was prompted by distress over hot flashes, night sweats, and related symptoms of sleep disruption, daytime fatigue, mental lapses, and irritability, it’s a “teachable moment” to discuss osteoporosis prevention and testing. As is typical, her primary desire is relief from hot flashes, yet bone loss is a more serious threat.

If long-term inter vention starts early, bone loss and osteoporosis are preventable; in that context, onset of hot flashes can be seen as a positive force, since they prompted her to seek medical help.

Beth:Concerned because of her mother’s hip fracture

Occasionally a patient will raise the issue of osteoporosis herself. “Beth” is a 49-year-old woman who reports that her last menstrual period 3 months ago was very light in comparison to what she considers normal. Her periods have become irregular over the last year, initially being about 21 days apart, but now 10 to 12 weeks apart. She says she may have noticed an occasional hot flash, but it was not troublesome. She is concerned about the menstrual irregularity and wonders if she is close to menopause.

While she is not psychologically troubled about cessation of menstrual periods, she is concerned about potential bone loss due to estrogen deficiency. With additional questioning, you discover that her mother had a hip fracture.

Carol:Believes her risk low and refuses BMD test

“Carol,” on the other hand, says she doesn’t need bone density testing, because she is not interested in taking any medication to prevent or treat osteoporosis.

If Carol truly will not consider preventive medications, then bone density testing is certainly not indicated. The few patients who refuse to consider medications or testing tend to think their risk is slight. Careful questioning often elicits this belief. They may exercise, avoid cigarette smoke, and consume more than adequate amounts of calcium supplements or dairy products.

Unfortunately, such admirable habits in no way prevent estrogen-deficient bone loss.

Genetically determined low BMD

And no woman can overcome the effects of a genetically determined lower-than-average peak bone density, which may exist without the patient’s knowledge. Without a bone density test, the patient is making an uninformed decision and it is from this perspective that this situation is best approached. Her decision should always be respected, but it is our responsibility to insure that it is an informed decision.

Drug intervention based on T-score

By measuring the bone density at menopause, we can determine if pharmacologic intervention to prevent bone loss needs to start immediately. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) guidelines, if a woman’s T-score is below -1.5 and she has even 1 other risk factor, pharmacologic intervention is warranted.^12,13

This level of bone density is clearly above the threshold for a diagnosis of osteoporosis based on the WHO criteria. Nevertheless, this patient’s estrogen deficiency will further deplete her already lower-than-normal bone density, and could be rapidly devastating. Knowledge of her T-score gives us potential to prevent fractures, now that we have drugs to prevent such devastation.