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Bone health: A lack of bone mass might cause you to develop osteoporosis, which makes bones brittle or weak. Bone health is crucial to overall health and quality of life. Women need to take special care of their bone health since they are more susceptible than males to develop osteoporosis. As a result of osteoporosis, bones really become fragile and weak that a fracture can occur even from a minor stressor like laughing or activities like bending over.
The World Health Organization estimates that 30% of postmenopausal women have osteoporosis, which causes the bones to become fragile and weak and can raise the risk of fractures. There are 61 million osteoporotic individuals in India alone, 80% of whom are female.
Dr. Sunita Kapoor,Director and Consultant Pathologist at City X-ray & Scan Clinic shares the importance of tests women must undertake to keep a check on their bone health.
Let’s now have a look at a few tests or screening procedures women should undergo to check their bone health:
Orthopedic Health Screening
For women who have a family history of joint issues, arthritis, or osteoporosis, an orthopaedic health screening is advised. This examination often entails looking for any anomalies or wear-and-tear symptoms in the bones and joints. Common orthopaedic examinations include bone densitometry, discography, skeletal scintigraphy, myelography, and electromyography. The majority of these tests rely on time-tested technology like computed tomography, DEXA MRI, ultrasound, and X-ray.
Bone density scan or DEXA scan
To determine how dense or strong your bones are, a bone density scan, also known as a DEXA scan, employs low-dose X-rays. This test is also known as a bone mineral density test, a dual-energy x-ray, or a BMD test. Depending on her risk factors for osteoporosis, a woman should get this test at least once starting at age 58 and possibly much younger.
In addition to recognising and preventing osteoporosis, the test is frequently crucial in determining body fat and lean body mass. By assessing the body’s fat content or the mineral density of your bones, the diagnostic technique can determine how easily fractured and injured your bones are. If you have a higher than average risk of developing bone conditions like osteoporosis, a doctor could advise getting the scan or test.
A bone density scan is primarily used to identify osteoporosis and osteopenia, estimate the risk of future fractures, and assess the efficacy of osteoporosis treatment. Women who are 65 years of age or older should undergo a bone density scan since they are at a greater risk of losing bone density, which can cause fractures.
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