If you’re a woman or man of a certain age and your doctor recommends a bone-density test, don’t be surprised. The test, called a DEXA scan, is a kind of X-ray that measures the strength of your bones, and it’s highly recommended for women at age 65 and men age 70 and up.
That’s because there is a greater risk of bone loss, called osteoporosis, in our senior years. Osteoporosis affects more than 50 million Americans, and the sooner it’s detected, treatment options are better and fractures more preventable. What a DEXA scan does is use dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure bone density and screen for osteoporosis.
Most men and women under age 65 don’t need a DEXA bone scan because few of them have little risk of bone loss or only mild bone loss called osteopenia. However, younger women and men in the 50 to 69 age group should consider having the test if they have the following risk factors:
- They’ve broken a bone in a minor accident.
- They have rheumatoid arthritis.
- They have a parent who broke a hip.
- They smoke and drink heavily.
- They have a low body weight.
- They are using corticosteroid drugs for three months or longer.
- They have a disorder associated with osteoporosis.
Otherwise, you can help prevent bone loss by taking the following steps:
- Exercise regularly. The best bone-building exercises are those that make your bones carry weight – like walking or lifting weights. Shoot for at least 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise per day.
- Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D. You should get at least 1,200 mg of calcium per day, either by eating dairy products, leafy green vegetables, salmon and canned sardines or taking a calcium pill. If you’re a woman in menopause or you get little sun exposure, consider taking 800 IU of vitamin D per day. This will help with absorption.
- Avoid cigarettes and limit your alcohol intake. If necessary, ask your doctor about a nicotine patch to help you quit smoking. Also, limit yourself to one drink a day if you’re a woman, and two drinks a day if you’re a man.
- Avoid certain drugs that damage bones. These include proton pump inhibitors used to treat heartburn, as well as corticosteroids, and certain antidepressants. Ask your doctor whether these medications are right for you.
Before deciding to have a DEXA scan, you should talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of doing so. A bone-density test emits a small amount of radiation, but exposure can add up if you have follow-up bone density tests every few years.
They say that luck favors the prepared, so don’t wait to take care of your bones as you get older. SC Internal Medicine Associates and Rehabilitation offers comprehensive diagnostic services that includes bone density DEXA scans designed to diagnose bone loss and facilitate prompt treatment. To find out if you could benefit from a DEXA bone scan, call SC Internal Medicine Associates and Rehabilitation at (803) 749-1111, or request an appointment online.
