Women aged 65 and older who fracture a hip are more than two times as likely to die in the year following injury . A broken bone may not sound serious, but if you are an older man or woman, a hip fracture can be the start of many severe health problems. About 40% of postmenopausal women in the U.S. have low bone density, another 7% have osteoporosis. BDS analysis is recommended for women between ages 50 and 65 with risk factors for osteoporosis and for all women over the age of 65. In addition, men and women taking certain medications or having certain diseases should discuss testing with their doctor. The bone densitometry (DXA) test aids doctors in the diagnosis of osteoporosis, a condition where bones become weak to the point of breaking. This weakening may be due to aging, or caused by other . The technical term for the method is “dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry”, or DXA. The bone densitometry test compares your bone to that of a young adult at peak bone strength (T-score). Your T-score combined with other risk factors, will enable your doctor to estimate what your risk of a hip fracture or other major osteoporosis-related fracture will be in the next 10 years. Typically your insurance plan will authorize a DXA every two years after age of 50. A bone densitometer measures bone mineral density(BMD). The amount of bone mineral relates directly to bone density. The bone densitometer uses small amounts of x-ray to measure BDS and to produce images of the spine, hip, or even the whole body.
The DXA scan can and will also provide you with the most accurate measure of body fat percentage. For people that are starting a weight loss program or intensive work out plan, the beginning and ending DXA is a powerful tool to track progress. The DXA body scan is the gold standard to determine how much fat and exactly where it is stored on your body.
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