DEXA Bone Density Scanning
The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates 55% of people age 50 and older in the United States have osteoporosis or low bone mass. Of these, more than 14 million men and 30 million women are affected by this condition.
Osteoporosis
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to
fracture. Osteoporosis is treatable and preventable. Early diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and the use of bone density testing to diagnose and monitor response to therapy have greatly improved the prognosis for patients. DEXA is the most advanced way to find out if you have low bone mass and to assess your risk for osteoporosis.
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At the core, trabecular bone
becomes less dense.
On the perimeter, less dense.
On the perimeter, cortical bone loses thickness.
Complications from osteoporosis arise as bone becomes thinner,
more porous, and susceptible to fracture. |
muscles, protects vital organs, and stores the calcium essential for bone density and strength. Bone tissue undergoes continual remodeling (destruction or resorption and construction or formation) throughout a person's lifetime. In young, healthy subjects, the amount of bone destroyed is completely replaced with new bone. If an imbalance occurs in the remodeling process such that more bone tissue is destroyed than created, the bone eventually becomes fragile. Every person loses bone in this manner from adulthood onward at the rate of about 1% per year. This age-related loss can be amplified by disease or medication.
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Prevalence of
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is one of the most pervasive and costly diseases in the United States. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), 10 million individuals in the United States already have the disease and 18 million more have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. Caucasian women are 3 times more likely than men to suffer any osteoporotic fracture. Nearly 1 in 2 Caucasian women will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in her lifetime. These fractures may require hospitalization or long-term care, impair lifestyle, and may provoke complications that result in death. Osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is diagnosed in less than 25% of cases and treated less than 10% of the time. |
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Osteoporotic Fractures
Osteoporosis may go unnoticed if it is asymptomatic. Signs that there has been a reduction in bone mass include low back pain, loss of height over time often accompanied by stooped posture, and minimal trauma fractures. As bone mass decreases, the risk of fracture grows. The three principal sites of osteoporotic fractures occur in the spinal vertebrae, hip, and the wrist. Fractures of the proximal femur, or hip, may occur spontaneously or |
Indications of Bone Densitometry
Certain people are more
likely to develop osteoporosis.
In women, the cessation of estrogen production at menopause induces
an acceleration of bone loss.
Excessive loss in men is often linked to disease, certain
medications, or secondary factors such as alcohol abuse.
Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis are
called "risk factors".
The NOF has identified the following risk factors:
- Female
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Anorexia nervosa or bulimia
- Cigarette smoking
- Use of certain
medications, such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants
- Thin and/or small frame
- Post-menopause
- Diet low in calcium
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Low testosterone levels in men
- Advanced age
- Amenorrhea
- Inactive lifestyle
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Being Caucasian or Asian
