Health Conditions

Discuss osteoporosis prevention with your doctor. Before your next appointment, check off the following risk factors that apply to you, print out the list, and share it with your doctor. If you are potentially at risk for osteoporosis, your doctor may suggest a bone mineral density (BMD) test to help determine if you could have a fracture due to osteoporosis.

Alcohol or caffeine consumption in large amounts

Asian or white ancestry

Broken bones (especially of the hip, forearm, or spine)

Chronic medical conditions (such as asthma or other lung disorders, cancer, Cushing's syndrome, parathyroid conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, or thyroid conditions)

Early menopause (before the age of 45) naturally or from surgical removal of the ovaries

Family history of osteoporosis, broken bones, or stooped posture

Lack of exercise or sedentary lifestyle

Long-term use of some medications (such as phenytoin, prednisone or other steroids, and thyroid medications)

Never having given birth to a child

Not enough calcium in the diet

Postmenopausal or currently going through menopause

Practices or conditions that result in the absence of menstrual cycles

Small, thin body size or low body weight

Smoking cigarettes (either currently or formerly)

Surgical removal of the testicles

What is a bone density test?

Ordinary x-rays are not sensitive enough to reveal bone loss until more than 30% of the highest amount of bone is already gone. The only sure way to determine the true condition of bone is to have a bone mineral density (BMD) test. Also called bone mass measurements, BMD tests are more readily available than they were a few years ago. BMD testing is recommended for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis risk factors and for all postmenopausal women age 65 or greater (medscape). A series of BMD tests may be performed about once a year to measure the rate of bone loss, to estimate the risk of bone breaks due to osteoporosis, and to check whether or not treatments are working.

Various methods are used for the assessment of bone density ? usually based on the part of the body that needs to be assessed. The tests, all painless and safe, measure bone density in the bones that break most often due to osteoporosis ? the spine (back), hip and/or wrist. Among the most common BMD tests are:

• Single-photon absorptiometry (SPA) is normally used for the forearm, heel, or lower leg.
• Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measures BMD in the spine and hip.
• Ultrasound may be used occasionally to assess bone density in the foot.

The measured bone density is compared to two standards, or norms, known as "age matched" and "young normal." The age-matched reading compares an individual?s measured bone density to what is expected in someone of the same age, sex, and size. The young normal reading compares the measured density to the best peak bone density of a healthy young adult of the same sex as the individual being tested.

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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.