Men and Bone Density Testing
You could have osteoporosis and not even know it. According to statistics from the Osteoporosis Society of Canada, as many as two million Canadians suffer from osteoporosis. While the disease can occur at any age, it is more common in men and women over the age of 50, especially in menopausal women. Many of the people affected by osteoporosis aren't aware that they have the disease, until they break a bone.
Osteoporosis causes a loss of bone density which weakens the bones and makes them more fragile, increasing the risk of fracture. A bone density test (also called a DXA scan) can determine if you have osteoporosis, or are at risk of developing the disease. “We think that all men at age 65 should have a bone density scan done,” says Dr. Larry Dian, a geriatric specialist at the Prohealth Clinical Research Centre who is also active in the Men's Health Initiative of BC. “There are circumstances, however, when men should have a bone density test earlier. For example, if they have had large doses of prednisone, if they have disorders of their thyroid gland or parathyroid gland, or if at anytime they've had a fracture. At that time the recommendation is to have a bone density test done.”
A DXA bone density test (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) works by using a small amount of X-ray to measure the bone mineral density of various areas of the body. The machine sends X-rays from two different sources into the bone. Bone blocks some of the X-rays, and the denser the bone, the fewer X-rays get through to the detector. This allows the physician to quickly and accurately measure bone density.
During the bone density test, the patient lies on a table while the machine painlessly scans sites such as the hip and spine. In addition to diagnosing osteoporosis, the DXA bone density test is also useful for tracking the treatment of osteoporosis.
If you think you might have osteoporosis, talk to your doctor about bone density testing.
