Bone Denisty Testing
Osteoporosis causes a decrease in bone mass, often referred to as thinning of bone. When this occurs, the patient with osteoporosis will have weaker bones and have a higher risk of bone fracture. According to the AARP, About 1.5 million people suffer a bone fracture related to osteoporosis each year.
The most serious kind of fracture for older people is a hip fracture. Every year, hip fractures send 300,000 people to the hospital. One in five people with a hip fracture ends up in a nursing home within a year.
Some of the common risk factors for osteoporosis include:
- Being female
- Advanced age
- Being Caucasian or Asian
- Low bone mass
- Being thin or having a small frame
- A sedentary lifestyle
- A family history of osteoporosis
- Estrogen deficiency as a result of menopause, especially early or surgically induced
- Anorexia nervosa
- Use of certain medications
- Cigarette smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
What is a bone density test (DEXA SCAN)?
DEXA stands for "dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry," and is considered the most accurate test for bone density. While standard x-rays show changes in bone density after about 40% of bone loss, a DEXA scan can detect changes after about a 1% change. A DEXA scan lasts about 10 minutes, and exposes the patient to less radiation than a standard chest x-ray.
Current Recommendations - The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends a bone density test at least once for all women age 65 and older.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following guidelines for determining who needs a bone density test:
- All postmenopausal women under age 65 who have one or more additional risk factors for osteoporosis (in addition to being postmenopausal and female)
- All women age 65 and older regardless of additional risk factors
- Postmenopausal women who sustain a fracture
- Women who are considering therapy for osteoporosis if bone density testing would facilitate the decision
- Women who have been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT/ERT) for prolonged periods