Bone mass measurements around menopause and prevention of osteoporotic fractures.

The objective of this work is to try to answer the question: is it useful to recommend bone densitometry at the time of the menopause as a screening test for women at high risk of osteoporotic fractures? This analysis is based on a review of the literature for the period 1981-1993, considering published articles in English or French. Prospective studies demonstrate that low bone mass (BM) in women who have been menopausal for more than 10 years is actually a risk factor for fracture, with a fracture risk multiplied by about two for a decrease in BM of one standard deviation. At present no studies have shown this association when BM determinations have been realised at the age of 50 years. The use of BM measurements remains difficult in practice because there is no international consensus concerning the definition and the value of a threshold for a high fracture risk. Concerning the efficacy of preventive interventions applied following the identification of a low BM, i.e. hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), data are lacking concerning the magnitude of its efficacy on fracture prevention and in the presence of an already decreased BM. Moreover osteoporosis is not the only indication for HRT, which may be prescribed for other consequences of the menopause. There is not enough evidence for the screening, by BM measurements, of high risk fracture at the time of the menopause. These measurements may help women who hesitate to take HRT, but they do not seem to improve compliance with the treatment to a large extent. Knowledge concerning osteoporosis and its prevention remains a major determinant in the use of preventive measures.