be well

You no longer have to travel to Tauranga or Rotorua to have your bone density checked. There is now a DEXA machine at Radius Medical, Whakatane. Midland Osteoporosis Group have set up a DEXA® machine and are trading under the name, Eastbay Bone Density Services.

The cost of a scan is $140, but in some cases there is no charge, (if you meet certain criteria) and most medical insurance companies will cover the cost of the scan. If you are concerned about osteoporosis then talk to your doctor about having a bone density scan.

Bone density describes the strength of the bone. Bones are at their highest density when people are in their twenties and thirties, and then density gradually declines. The risk of fractures is worked out by measuring bone density with a special dual-energy x-ray (DEXA®) scan. Ordinary X-rays don’t show up bone loss until a large amount of bone has been affected. Bone density readings can also show early bone loss (known as osteopenia) which highlights the risk of developing osteoporosis.

What is osteoporosis?

Bone density reduces to some degree in all people as they age. Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones become excessively thin and weak, such that there is a greater risk of fractures. It affects more than 50% of women and about 30% of men over 60 years, as well as a few younger people. Osteoporosis is often called ‘the silent disease’ as it can develop without any symptoms, until you have broken a bone.

Are you at risk of osteoporosis?

Some people are more at risk than others. The following risk factors are linked to having osteoporosis, or getting it later on. The more of these that apply to you, the more important it is to discuss osteoporosis with your doctor:

• being female
• previous fracture due to osteoporosis
• family history of osteoporosis
• being aged 50 years or older
• being past the menopause
• having your ovaries removed or reaching menopause before the age of 45
• being thin or ‘thin boned’
• white (Caucasian) or Asian ancestry
• too little calcium in your diet, ie less than 4 serves of dairy product a day
• smoking
• more than 4 standard alcoholic drinks a day
• less than 30 minutes outdoors in sunlight each day
• less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day
• Long term use of some medications, such as steroids (eg cortisone, prednisone) or anticonvulsants.

For osteoporosis, prevention is far more successful than the cure.

Bone density tests

If bone mineral density testing shows that your bones are not as strong as they should be, your health care provider can recommend steps for you to take to help prevent a fracture.

There are two major ways that bone mineral density can be measured: by DEXA® and by ultrasound. Currently, the most accurate, comprehensive, and fastest technique for determining bone density is dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA®), which measures bone density throughout the body within forty five minutes.

The measurements are made by detecting the extent to which bones absorb photons (atomic particles with no charge) that are generated by very low-level x-rays. Specialists use a formula based on the results of these procedures to determine if bone density has deteriorated to the fracture threshold.  Osteoporosis is diagnosed when bone mass density is measured at a 2.5 standard deviation (SD) or more below the average - or 2.5 times below the normal range. The measurement is expressed as a T score or a Z score.

For further information about bone density scans and osteoporosis contact your doctor or go to Everybody.