Although bone mineral density (BMD) testing to screen for osteoporosis (BMD T score, −2.50 or lower) is recommended for women 65 years of age or older, there are few data to guide decisions about the interval between BMD tests. Our data indicate that osteoporosis would develop in less than 10% of older, postmenopausal women during rescreening intervals of approximately 15 years for women with normal bone density or mild osteopenia, 5 years for women with moderate osteopenia, and 1 year for women with advanced osteopenia. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.)

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1107142