Testing for Osteoporosis
Until recently, testing for osteoporosis was difficult until the disease was in its advanced stage. Little treatment was available except for estrogen. Times have changed and new techniques reveal osteoporosis in its beginning stages. Early testing requires lower doses of radiation than conventional X-rays. A whole new set of drugs can halt calcium loss in bones.
Who should be tested?
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends bone density scans for:
• All women 65 and older
• All postmenopausal women under 65 who have risk factors for the disease or who have had a bone fracture
• All women who would take HRT if they knew their bone density was low
• All women who have taken HRT for a long period
What is a bone density test?
Bone density tests are a form of X-ray that can detect the early stages of bone loss. Taken at regular intervals, much like a mammogram, they can chart the rate of bone loss, allowing treatments to be adjusted.
Ultrasound. Using many of the same techniques that allow a physician and expectant mother to view a developing child during pregnancy, ultrasound can also reveal bone density and predict fractures. Because it does not use any radiation, it is safe for pregnant women and for frequent tests. Also, because so many doctors have ultrasound equipment in their offices, the test can be run as part of a physical.
Biochemical testing. A simple urine test can test for bone breakdown. The test doesn’t measure bone density directly, so it is not the effective tool that imaging methods are.
