Bone Densitometry : Detect Osteoporosis Before it Breaks You Down

It is estimated twenty-five million people have osteoporosis. This disorder primarily affects nearly one-half of all postmenopausal women, the largest group at high risk. Osteoporosis is a disease that thins and weakens the bones and can make them very fragile — so fragile that there is a concern about breaking a bone just by doing simple tasks.

Risk factors for osteoporosis include:

• Early menopause
• A family history of osteoporosis
• Caucasian or Asian ethnicity
• Thin or small build
• Lack of exercise
• Use of steroids and thyroid hormone
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• History of eating disorders
• Low calcium consumption
• High caffeine consumption

The Diagnostic Imaging Centers at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach and the Breast Clinic for Early Diagnosis in Laguna Niguel offer bone density testing through their premier, state-of-the-art bone densitometers.

The procedure is a quick, safe and comfortable procedure that can detect early bone loss associated with osteoporosis. This test measures changes in bone density by analyzing the spine and hips, which are the most common sites to show osteoporosis.

A bone density exam takes anywhere between two and ten minutes, depending on the number of sites tested. In addition to measuring your bone mineral density, it also compares your measurements to a reference population based on your age, weight, sex and ethnic background

The exam is simple. Basically, you need to lie back, breath normally and let the bone densitometer do the work. There is no pain, no special preparations, and you can wear most any comfortable clothing.

Talk to your doctor about osteoporosis and ask if a bone density test is right for you. To make an appointment for an exam, call either the Breast Center at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach at (949) 499-7510 or the Breast Clinic for Early Diagnosis in Laguna Niguel at (949) 831-3322.