Preparing for your DEXA or bone densitometry scan

• Unless instructed otherwise, eat normally on the day of
  the exam; but avoid taking calcium supplements for at
  least 24 hours
  
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Sweat suits and other casual attire without zippers, buttons, grommets or any metal are preferred.
  
• You should not have had a barium study, radioisotope injection, oral or intravenous contrast material from a CT scan or MRI within 7 days prior to your DEXA test
  

Bone densitometry, using an advanced technology called DEXA (short for “dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), safely, accurately and painlessly measures bone mineral density. Bone densitometers with an additional capability called Instant Vertebral Assessment or IVA, also produce an x-ray of the entire spine for the assessment of vertebral (spine|) fractures.

IVA is basically a rapid (10-second), low-dose, x-ray scan of the spine, taken in combination with a standard bone density test. With IVA, doctors can see existing vertebral fractures, which may indicate the need for more aggressive treatment, even if bone density results are in the “normal” range.

Prior to IVA, a patient suspected of having a vertebral fracture would be referred for a conventional spine x-ray. This often required a separate office visit, exposure to higher doses of radiation; and additional time for processing and reviewing the x-ray film. With IVA, the spine scan is performed in conjunction with a bone density test, during the same appointment, at 1/100th of the radiation dose, and the results are immediately available for the doctor’s review. In this way, you doctor can provide a more thorough assessment of your bone health….quickly and conveniently.

During a comprehensive examination with DEXA, the patient lays comfortably still on a padded table while the DEXA unit scans 2 or more areas, usually the fracture-prone hip and spine. Unlike typical x-ray machines, radiation during bone densitometry is extremely low---less than the radio exposure during a coast-to-coast airline flight. The entire process takes only minutes to complete, depending on the number of sites scanned. It involves no injections or invasive procedures, and patients remain fully clothed. DEXA is a fast, convenient and precise way to measure bone density and uncover vertebral fractures to help determine a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis and future fractures.

In summary, bone densitometry using DEXA factors

• Simple, proven x-ray method
  
• Safe, low radiation
  
• Reveals existing vertebral fractures
  
• Helps determine whether you are at a high,
  increased or low risk of fracturing a bone
  
• Fast and comfortable….on takes minutes
  
• Easy…..patient remains clothed
  
• Painless…non-invasive and no injections

Bone densitometry scan and analysis

Most common examination sites are fracture-prone hip and spine. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is calculated and compared to normal BMD values, matched for age and sex. A low BMD by DEXA may predict the likelihood of osteoporosis and fracture and can help determine a treatment plan.

The report

The DEXA system produces test results instantly. Along with information you provide about your family and medical history, lifestyle and diet, the data derived from the DEXA test will be used by your physician to help determine your fracture risk and whether you would benefit from additional therapy…and if so, what kind of therapy.

Osteoporosis affects millions and costs billions

Osteoporosis---a potentially painful and crippling disease---and related bone disorders affect 30 million American women. While some bone loss can be expected as part of the normal aging process, osteoporosis is a dangerous disease. It occurs when bone loss is so severe it causes bones to become porous, brittle and likely to break. Half of all Asian and Caucasian women past menopauses have or are at high risk of developing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is often called the “silent disease,” because it doesn’t produce symptoms until a fracture occurs. The bones most likely to break are the hip, spine and forearm. In fact, 30% of Caucasian women over 50 have at least one spinal fracture and don’t know it; because spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis most often are painless. Even so, they greatly increase the risk for future fractures.

A woman’s risk of hip fractures alone---the most painful and debilitating of osteoporotic fractures---equals her combined risk of developing breast, uterine or ovarian cancer.

In short… the prevalence of osteoporosis has reached epidemic proportions, with related costs to our healthcare system exceeding $17 billion annually. The personal consequences of untreated osteoporosis may be loss of independence, pain, deformity, disability… even death.