Stroke survivors are infrequently screened for osteoporosis despite being at increased risk of falls and could benefit from more diligent post-stroke follow-up, said the authors of a study published June 1 in AHA Journals.
Their investigation identified patients aged 65 and older who were seen in the emergency department or hospitalized with stroke. Within a year following the stroke event, five percent underwent bone mineral density screening to test for osteoporosis and 15% were prescribed fracture-preventing drugs, said lead author Moira K. Kapral, M.D., MSc., of the University of Toronto. Women who had been previously diagnosed with osteoporosis or had prior fractures were more likely to be treated with preventive medications within the year.
Better prevention is the next step forward, Kapral suggests. “Future work should focus on the identification of patients at high risk and the development of interventions to improve the quality of osteoporosis care after stroke,” she said.
