bone density assessment

Important Information about Your Health: Bone Density Assessment

There is an easy, noninvasive test used to determine your bone strength. The test is called a bone densitometry or bone mineral density (BMD) test.

Bone density testing is the most accurate way to assess bone health. Bone density testing is often performed to help diagnose osteoporosis or to see if you are at an increased risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis thins your bones, causing them to become more fragile and likely to break.

Just as a cholesterol test can help assess your risk of coronary artery disease, a bone density test can indicate your risk of fractures. If your bone density is found to be very low, there is treatment available for you that can help prevent future fractures. In addition, bone density measurements can also help monitor the effects of treatment.

So, who should be tested? Bone density testing is recommended if you are:

• Postmenopausal women who is 50 years old or older
• Postmenopausal woman who has recently sustained a fracture or have one or more risk factors for osteoporosis
• You are a younger postmenopausal woman with other risk factors for osteoporosis

To learn more about bone density testing, speak with your doctor today.

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