Bone loss begins to speed up for all girls of their mid-30s, so should you’re beneath 50 and suppose DEXA scans and bone density considerations don’t apply to you—maintain up.
That is data you’ll need beneath your belt sooner somewhat than later. Let’s speak about why.
What’s a DEXA Scan?
A DEXA scan (brief for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) is a fast, non-invasive check that measures the mineral content material of your bones to evaluate bone density and monitor adjustments over time.
Whereas it makes use of a small quantity of radiation, publicity is minimal—about one-tenth that of a chest x-ray and fewer than what you’d get from a single day of background radiation.
The scan takes about 10 minutes. You’ll lie on a desk whereas an imaging arm passes over key websites—mostly the lumbar backbone, hip, femoral neck, and wrist.
Why You May Want a DEXA Scan Sooner Than You Assume
At this 12 months’s BHOF Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis, girls’s well being researcher Dr. Amanda Clark mentioned plainly: “Ready till age 65 to guage skeletal well being is just too late.”
Why? As a result of girls start to lose bone quickly within the 12 months earlier than their remaining menstrual interval (the official marker of menopause), and that elevated price of loss continues for about two years after. On this brief window, girls lose a median of 10% of their complete bone mass.
Because the common age of menopause is between 45 and 55, a girl could possibly be dropping bone for 10 to twenty years with none consciousness or intervention.
Bone transforming—a wholesome, lifelong course of during which previous or broken bone is damaged down and changed by new tissue—slows over time. By our mid-30s, bone resorption begins to outpace bone formation, leading to a gradual however regular decline in bone mass.
This loss accelerates in the course of the menopausal transitionwhen estrogen—a key driver of bone formation—declines.
Whereas the CDC and the Bone Well being & Osteoporosis Basis (BHOF) nonetheless suggest a primary DEXA scan at age 65, many specialists are calling for up to date pointers that replicate rising proof: Ladies profit from having a baseline scan a lot earlier. Quite a few threat components already qualify many ladies for early screening—and insurance coverage will usually cowl the scan with a physician’s prescription indicating only one.
Learn how to Get a Baseline DEXA Sooner
Insurance coverage usually covers a DEXA scan when osteoporosis threat is medically justified. With so many threat components—starting from physique composition to drugs—most ladies are seemingly coated for early testing.
Under is a non-exhaustive record of threat classes that will help you start a dialog along with your healthcare supplier:
Physique Composition & Demographic Danger Elements
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Low Physique Weight / Slender Construct – Much less bone mass will increase vulnerability to loss.
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Race – White and Asian girls face a better threat of osteoporosis.
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Household Historical past – A dad or mum with osteoporosis or a fragility fracture raises your threat.*
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Fall Historical past – A bent to fall will increase fracture threat.*
Even minor falls (from standing peak or much less) that end in fractures needs to be thought of pink flags. For instance, in case your mother broke her wrist tripping over a rug, that’s thought of a fragility fracture—even when she wasn’t formally identified with osteoporosis.
Hormonal & Reproductive Elements
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Menopause-Associated Hormone Decline
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Early Menopause (pure or surgical)
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Amenorrhea / Irregular Menstrual Cycles
Dietary & Consuming Conduct Elements
Way of life Elements
Illness-Associated Elements
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Endocrine & Hormonal Problems (e.g., hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s)
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Gastrointestinal Ailments (e.g., celiac, Crohn’s)
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Autoimmune Situations (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)
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Most cancers
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HIV/AIDS
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Anorexia Nervosa
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Vertebral Abnormalities (e.g., scoliosis, unexplained peak loss)
Treatment-Associated Elements
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Glucocorticoids / ACTH
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Antiepileptic Medicine
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Most cancers Hormonal Therapies
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Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
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SSRIs (Antidepressants)
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Thiazolidinediones (for Kind 2 Diabetes)
Along with this record, on-line instruments such because the Worldwide Osteoporosis Basis Danger Examine, FRAX Fracture Danger Evaluation Instrumentand Garvan Fracture Danger Calculator can assist estimate your osteoporosis and fracture dangers.
Can I Get a DEXA Scan if I Don’t Have Any Danger Elements?
Sure—you’ll be able to nonetheless select to get one. Out-of-pocket prices usually vary from $100–$250and you may typically use HSA/FSA funds. Whereas it’s an upfront expense, contemplate it an funding in prevention.
A baseline scan offers you information. And information offers you energy.
Make sure you name forward—not all imaging facilities supply self-pay DEXA scans and not using a referral.
What Do My DEXA Outcomes Imply?
DEXA scan outcomes are usually reported as T-scores and Z-scores.
- The T-score compares your bone mineral density (BMD) to that of a wholesome 30-year-old grownup of the identical organic intercourse (thought of peak bone mass).
- The Z-score compares your BMD to the typical of individuals your age and intercourse.
Osteoporosis is identified utilizing the T-score. A decrease (extra unfavourable) rating signifies better bone loss:
Be aware: Z-scores could also be extra helpful for figuring out secondary causes of bone loss in youthful girls and premenopausal populations.
- A T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 signifies low bone mass (osteopenia).
- A T-score of -2.5 or decrease signifies osteoporosis.
Every T-score level roughly correlates with a share of bone loss. For instance:
- A T-score of -1.0 displays about 10% bone loss
- A T-score of -2.5 displays roughly 25% bone loss
The Backside Line
Given the wide selection of threat components, most ladies are eligible—and clever—to get an early DEXA scan. Don’t assume your bones are wholesome simply since you really feel wholesome.
Speak along with your physician about your private threat profile and ask for a prescription to get a baseline scan. Out of your mid-30s on, bone loss is occurring whether or not you see it or not.
The excellent news? You possibly can gradual it down and even construct bone by participating in confirmed, proactive methods like progressive power coaching and affect coaching. And since peak bone mass is usually achieved by early maturity, we additionally must encourage the subsequent era—our children and youths—to have interaction in bone-building actions now, in order that they’ll have a stronger basis for many years to come back.
Preserve lifting, leaping, and looking for robust bones at all ages. —Karin
References:
- Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).(2024). DEXA Scans: Information and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/radiation-health/data-research/facts-stats/dexa-scan.html
- Nationwide Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Pores and skin Ailments (NIAMS).(n.d.). Osteoporosis. Nationwide Institutes of Well being. Retrieved from https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis
- Cosman, F. et al.(2024). Proceedings of the 2024 Santa Fe Bone Symposium: Replace on the Administration of Osteoporosis and Uncommon Bone Ailments. Bone Reviews. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1094695024000921
- Worldwide Osteoporosis Basis (IOF).(n.d.). Osteoporosis Assets and Danger Instruments. Retrieved from https://www.osteoporosis.basis
- Research of Ladies’s Well being Throughout the Nation (SWAN).(2023). Bone Well being Reality Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.swanstudy.org/wps/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SWAN-Reality-Sheets-Bone.pdf
- College of Alabama at Birmingham.(n.d.). Step 2: Bone Density Testing – Price. UAB Tone Your Bones. Retrieved from https://www.uab.edu/shp/toneyourbones/step-2-bone-density-testing/price
- Sidecar Well being.(n.d.). DEXA Scan Price: Price Lookup Instrument. Retrieved from https://price.sidecarhealth.com/c/dexa-scan-cost
- Florencio-Silva, R., et al.(2015). Biology of Bone Tissue: Construction, Perform, and Elements That Affect Bone Cells. BioMed Analysis Worldwide2015, Article ID 421746. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/421746
- NIH Consensus Growth Panel.(2001). Osteoporosis Prevention, Prognosis, and Remedy. JAMA285(6), 785–795. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.285.6.785
- Nieves, J. W.(2005). Skeletal Results of Vitamins and Nutraceuticals, Past Calcium and Vitamin D. Osteoporosis Worldwide16(7), 773–782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-005-1919-7
- Riggs, B. L., & Melton, L. J.(1986). Involutional Osteoporosis. New England Journal of Medication314(26), 1676–1686. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198606263142605
- Crab, S., & Christiansen, C.(1984). Bone Turnover in Postmenopausal Ladies. Journal of Scientific Endocrinology & Metabolism59(2), 373–379. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-59-2-373
