And out of that analysis came the conclusions that it is cost-effective for women, by the time they reach 65, all to have had a bone density evaluation, |
Just like mammography, we essentially have a preventive health care test that Medicare is mandated to cover. |
So someone who has had a fracture, whether it be a spine fracture, wrist fracture or hip fracture, and who has low bone density, would be considered to have severe disease, |
The decision was taken to focus resources on areas elsewhere. |
We do not recommend bone density testing for women before menopause unless they have no periods; then there is a good reason, |
We have to caution that our data are very preliminary. Raloxifene seems to reduce the risk of breast cancer somewhere between 60 and 80 percent, depending on how the data have been analyzed. |