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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.

We studied 4957 women, 67 years of age or older, with normal BMD (T score at the femoral neck and total hip, −1.00 or higher) or osteopenia (T score, −1.01 to −2.49) and with no history of hip or clinical vertebral fracture or of treatment for osteoporosis, followed prospectively for up to 15 years. The BMD testing interval was defined as the estimated time for 10% of women to make the transition to osteoporosis before having a hip or clinical vertebral fracture, with adjustment for estrogen use and clinical risk factors. Transitions from normal BMD and from three subgroups of osteopenia (mild, moderate, and advanced) were analyzed with the use of parametric …