Densitometry Osteoporosis Diet And ExerciseOver time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, bones become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis. Description. Osteoporosis is a serious public health problem. Some 4. 4 million people in the United States are at risk for this potentially debilitating disease, which is responsible for 1. These fractures, which are often the first sign of the disease, can affect any bone, but the most common locations are the hip, spine, and wrist. Breaks in the hip and spine are of special concern because they almost always require hospitalization and major surgery, and may lead to other serious consequences, including permanent disability and even death. To understand osteoporosis, it is helpful to understand the basics of bone formation. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being renewed in a two- stage process (resorption and formation) that occurs throughout life. In the resorption stage, old bone is broken down and removed by cells called osteoclasts. In the formation stage, cells called osteoblasts build new bone to replace the old. During childhood and early adulthood, more bone is produced than removed, reaching its maximum mass and strength by the mid- 3. After that, bone is lost at a faster pace than it is formed, so the amount of bone in the skeleton begins to slowly decline. Most cases of osteoporosis occur as an acceleration of this normal aging process, which is referred to as primary osteoporosis. The condition also can be caused by other disease processes or prolonged use of certain medications that result in bone loss. If so, this is called secondary osteoporosis. Osteoporosis occurs most often in older people and in women after menopause. It affects nearly half of men and women over the age of 7. Women are about five times more likely than men to develop the disease. They have smaller, thinner bones than men to begin with, and they lose bone mass more rapidly after menopause (usually around age 5. In the five to seven years following menopause, women can lose about 2. Reduce the health risk of Osteoporosis by getting a Bone Density Test, DEXA Scan, Ultrasound Screening from Life Line Screening today. Get a Free consultation! Bone density testing in general practice Poor bone health is common in Australia An estimated 4.7 million Australians over the age of 50 currently have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease where increased bone weakness increases the risk of a broken bone. It is the most common reason for a broken bone among the elderly. Bone densitometry is used primarily to diagnose osteoporosis and to determine fracture risk. By age 6. 5 or 7. As an increasing number of men reach an older age, there is more awareness that osteoporosis is an important health issue for them as well. In fact, a 2. 00. Causes and symptoms. A number of factors increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. They include: Age. Osteoporosis is more likely as people grow older and their bones lose tissue. Gender. Women are smaller and start out with less bone. They also lose bone tissue more rapidly as they age. While women commonly lose 3. Race. Caucasian and Asian women are most at risk for the disease, but African American and Hispanic women can get it too. Figure type. Women with small bones and those who are thin are more liable to have osteoporosis. Early menopause. Women who stop menstruating early because of heredity, surgery or lots of physical exercise may lose large amounts of bone tissue early in life. Conditions such as anorexia and bulimia also may lead to early menopause and osteoporosis. Lifestyle. People who smoke or drink too much, or do not get enough exercise have an increased chance of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis Definition The word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content. Read about osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. Osteopenia is also a term used for bone density loss. Metro multispeciality Hospital is one of the Best multispeciality hospital in India. It has over 2500 beds & 12 top hospitals in Delhi, NCR, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh. Diet. Those who do not get enough calcium or protein may be more likely to have osteoporosis. That is why people who constantly diet are more prone to the disease. Genetics. Research in Europe reported in 2. Studies were continuing on how to identify the gene and use information from the research to prevent osteoporosis in carriers. Osteoporosis is often called the . People often do not know they have the disease until a bone breaks, frequently in a minor fall that would not normally cause a fracture. A common occurrence is compression fractures of the spine. These can happen even after a seemingly normal activity, such as bending or twisting to pick up a light object. The fractures can cause severe back pain, but sometimes go unnoticed—either way, the vertebrae collapse down on themselves, and the person actually loses height. The hunchback appearance of many elderly women, sometimes called . These include a geriatrician, who specializes in treating the aged; an endocrinologist, who specializes in treating diseases of the body's endocrine system (glands and hormones); and an orthopedic surgeon, who treats fractures such as those caused by osteoporosis. Before making a diagnosis of osteoporosis, the doctor usually takes a complete medical history, conducts a physical exam, and orders x rays, as well as blood and urine tests, to rule out other diseases that cause loss of bone mass. The doctor also may recommend a bone density test. This is the only way to know for certain if osteoporosis is present. It also can show how far the disease has progressed. Several diagnostic tools are available to measure bone density. The ordinary x ray is one, though it is the least accurate for early detection of osteoporosis, because it does not reveal bone loss until the disease is advanced and most of the damage has already been done. Two other tools that are more likely to catch osteoporosis at an early stage are computed tomography scans (CT scans) and machines called densitometers, which are designed specifically to measure bone density. The CT scan, which takes a large number of x rays of the same spot from different angles, is an accurate test, but uses higher levels of radiation than other methods. Densitometry Osteoporosis Diet SodaThe most accurate and advanced of the densitometers uses a technique called DEXA (dual energy x- ray absorptiometry). With the DEXA scan, a double x- ray beam takes pictures of the spine, hip, or entire body. It takes about 2. Doctors do not routinely recommend the test, partly because access to densitometers is still not widely available. People should talk to their doctors about their risk factors for osteoporosis and if, and when, they should get the test. Ideally, women should have bone density measured at menopause, and periodically afterward, depending on the condition of their bones. Men should be tested around age 6. Men and women with additional risk factors, such as those who take certain medications, may need to be tested earlier. Treatment. There are a number of good treatments for primary osteoporosis, most of them medications. Two medications, alendronate and calcitonin (in nose spray form), have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They provide people who have osteoporosis with a variety of choices for treatment. For people with secondary osteoporosis, treatment may focus on curing the underlying disease. Drugs. For many women who have gone through menopause, the treatment of choice for osteoporosis has been hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also called estrogen replacement therapy. Many women choose HRT when they undergo menopause to alleviate symptoms such as hot flashes, but hormones increase a woman's supply of estrogen, which helps build new bone, while preventing further bone loss. A 2. 00. 2 report from a large clinical trial called the Women's Health Initiative helped verify HRT's positive effects in preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. However, the WHI also revealed several risks with taking combined HRT (estrogen and progesterone). In fact, the trial was stopped early because the incidence of invasive breast cancer in women on HRT passed a threshold that was considered too risky for the benefits they were receiving. The study also found that the women on combined hormone therapy were at increased risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. Whether or not a woman takes hormones and for how long is a decision she should make carefully with her doctor. Women should talk to their doctors about personal risks for osteoporosis, as well as their risks for heart disease and breast cancer. Since estrogen may no longer be recommended for prevention of osteoporosis, selective use of alendronate and calcitonin are possible alternatives. Alendronate and calcitonin both stop bone loss, help build bone, and decrease fracture risk by as much as 5. Alendronate (sold under the name Fosamax) is the first nonhormonal medication for osteoporosis ever approved by the FDA. It attaches itself to bone that has been targeted by bone- eating osteoclasts, protecting the bone from these cells. Osteoclasts help the body break down old bone tissue. Calcitonin is a hormone that has been used as an injection for many years. A new version is on the market as a nasal spray. It too slows down bone- eating osteoclasts. Side effects of these drugs are minimal, but calcitonin builds bone by only 1. Fosamax has proven safe in large, multi- year studies, but not much is known about the effects of its long- term use. Several medications under study include other bisphosphonates that slow bone breakdown (like alendronate), sodium fluoride, vitamin D metabolites, and selective estrogen receptor modulators. Some of these treatments are already being used in other countries, but have not yet been approved by the FDA for use in the United States. In early 2. 00. 3, a report announced that the FDA had recently approved the first drug that could form bone in osteoporosis patients. The drug is a form of the human parathyroid hormone called teriparatide. It shows promise for those patients at highest risk for fracture from the disease. There are some patients who cannot use the drug, so all considering the new treatment must check with their physician and may need to undergo bone densitometry scans or other testing. Surgery. Unfortunately, much of the treatment for osteoporosis is for fractures that result from advanced stages of the disease. For complicated fractures, such as broken hips, hospitalization and a surgical procedure are required. In hip replacement surgery, the broken hip is removed and replaced with a new hip made of plastic, or metal and plastic. Though the surgery itself is usually successful, complications of the hip fracture can be serious. Those individuals have a 5- 2. DEXA (DXA) scan - NHS Choices A DEXA scan is a special type of X- ray that measures bone mineral density (BMD). DEXA stands for . This type of scan may also be called: a DXA scan a bone density scan a bone densitometry scan DEXA scans are often used to diagnose or assess someone's risk of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. As well as being quick and painless, a DEXA scan is more effective than normal X- rays in identifying low bone mineral density. Osteoporosis. You may need to have a DEXA scan if you're: over 5. The World Health Organization (WHO) has created a 1. Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, which applies to both men and women between 4. The tool can be used to assess if a DEXA scan is appropriate and calculates your risk of fracture in the next 1. Osteoporosis can affect people of both sexes and all ages, although older, post- menopausal women are particularly at risk. This is because after the menopause the level of oestrogen declines, resulting in a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD). The more dense your bones, the stronger and less likely they are to fracture (break). Osteoporosis doesn't cause any symptoms until a bone is broken. It used to be difficult to measure bone density and identify those at risk of developing osteoporosis until a fracture occurred. However, it's now possible to measure bone density before someone gets a fracture. Read more about when DEXA scans are used. Measuring bone density. During a DEXA scan, X- rays are passed through your body. Some radiation is absorbed by the bone and soft tissue and some travels through your body. Special detectors in the DEXA scanner measure how much radiation passes through your bones, and this information is sent to a computer. Your bone density measurements will be compared with the bone density of a young healthy adult or an adult of your own age, gender and ethnicity. Read more about how DEXA scans are carried out. Safety. DEXA scans use a much lower level of radiation than standard X- ray examinations, which means that the radiographer (the technical specialist carrying out the scan) can stay in the scanning room with you during the scan. The amount of radiation used during a DEXA scan varies depending on the area of the body being examined, but is very low and less than two days' exposure to natural background radiation (NBR). By comparison, a chest X- ray uses the equivalent of about three days' exposure to NBR, and a flight to North America is equivalent to approximately a week's exposure to NBR. Despite being very safe procedures, DEXA scans and X- rays aren't recommended for pregnant women, as X- rays can damage an unborn child. Read more about your health during pregnancy. Page last reviewed: 1. Next review due: 0.
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