Bone Mineral Density Scan

Osteoporosis is a potentially painful and crippling disease which can affect anyone but occurs more commonly in older women.

It involves the gradual loss of calcium, causing the bones to become porous, brittle and break easily. Half of all menopausal women have or are at high risk of developing osteoporosis.

Often called a silent disease, osteoporosis doesn’t produce symptoms until a fracture occurs. The cumulative life-time fracture risk for a 50-year-old woman with osteoporosis is as high as 53%.

The bones most likely to break are the hip, spine and forearm.

Bone density scans are used to diagnose osteoporosis and are recommended if you:

• are a thin and tall menopausal woman and/or not taking estrogen
• have a personal and/or maternal history of hip fracture
• milk intolerant and/or have low calcium and vitamin D intake
• a smoker or drink alcohol in excess
• are a man with clinical conditions associated with bone loss
• have a thyroid condition
• have experienced a fracture after only a mild trauma
• use medications that are known to cause bone loss, such as corticosteroids