Bone Densitometry
What is osteoporosis?
What is osteoporosis? It is a disease that causes bones to loose mass and become fragile. It causes a person to loose height, develop a hunchback appearance and to fracture easily. It is a serious disease. 80% of the affected persons are women and it is the leading cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal and elderly women.
Approximately at age 35, women start gradually loosing bone mass. After menopause, women loose bone mass more rapidly due to a decrease in estrogen levels. In the following 5 to 10 years, women loose up to a third of bone mass, because they loose bone more rapidly than it may be replaced.
Who is at risk of suffering from osteoporosis?
- Postmenopausal women
- Women with early menopause
- Those who suffer from inflammatory arthritis or related conditions
- Persons taking drugs that weaken bones (steroids, anti-seizure medications or heparin)
- Intake of low calcium food
- Smokers
- Intake of more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day
- Persons who do not exercise or who are sedentary
Bone densitometry is a test that measures bone mass in the whole body, through a special X-ray machine. The densitometer scans the areas of interest of the skeleton, such as the lumbar spine and hip.
The test is recommended for women over 40 and after their menopause.
