Bone Densitometry

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Bone densitometry is a radiological tool essential in managing and diagnosing osteoporosis. Using X-ray, CT scan and ultrasound technology, physicians can measure the density of minerals (mainly calcium) in your bones, and assess strength and risk of fracture.

Bone densitometry is especially helpful in detecting the early stages of osteoporosis, before symptoms occur. Osteoporosis is a condition that affects mostly women over the age of 65, although men can be afflicted as well. While everyone loses bone mass with age, osteoporosis puts you at increased risk for fractures, particularly in the hips and vertebrae. Nearly half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The good news is, with bone density testing, most of these patients can be treated before their bones lose too much strength.

If you have a history of osteoporosis in your family, you are 65 or older, or you are a woman past menopause, a bone density test could help you assess your risks for osteoporosis and understand what steps you can take now to maintain your bone mass and build new bone tissue.

For more information on bone densitometry or osteoporosis, visit Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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