In fact, use of these drugs dropped from 15 percent in 2004 to just 3 percent in 2013. But the main - and more concerning - reason is many people have stopped taking bone density medications. Since Medicare reimbursement rates for bone density testing have gone down over the last several years, some screening facilities have actually closed down, leading to fewer people getting checked. There are several reasons for the uptick in fractures, he says. Michael Lewiecki, M.D., director of the New Mexico Clinical Research & Osteoporosis Center in Albuquerque. “As a result, we ended up with over 11,000 additional hip fractures from 2013 to 2015,” says study author E. In 2013 hip fracture rates were higher than had been expected, a concern since they are expensive and associated with a loss of independence and even death. They found that rates declined until 2012. In a study published this month in Osteoporosis International, researchers looked at Medicare claims of women age 65 and older from 2002 to 2015. Now, new research suggests that hip fracture rates in older women are on the rise. And with osteoporosis, you’re much more at risk of suffering a hip fracture, which can prevent you from living independently and may sometimes even be deadly. In fact, about 10 percent of Americans age 50 and older have osteoporosis and another 43 percent have osteopenia, or low bone density. But you’re actually much more likely to have osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bone and increases the risk of fracture. If you’re over 65, you’re probably worried about having a heart attack, or being diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer. Muscle-strengthening and balance exercises can help preserve bone strength.

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