UNDATED (CBS) -- A new study suggests many older women with normal bone density don't need to be tested as often for bone loss.
A bone density test uses X-rays to measure how much calcium and minerals are in the bone. Osteoporosis causes bones to become brittle and more likely to break or fracture with age.
Researchers looked at nearly 5,000 women age 67 and older and found those with normal density or even mild bone loss may not need to be tested again for 15 years. Researchers say it would take that amount of time for 10% of women in the highest bone density ranges to develop osteoporosis.
Right now there are no formal guidelines for how often a woman should be screened but most insurance companies pay for bone density tests every two years.
Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease, affecting one out of every five women over 50 in the U.S.