|
Osteoporosis Assessment
We are
pleased to offer state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and methods that
allow us to provide an early diagnosis for patients at risk for
osteoporosis. We use the Hologic Bone Densitometer, which
delivers fast, high-resolution images with unsurpassed precision and
patient convenience.
Osteoporosis affects 28 million Americans - 80% of whom are women.
Each year, this debilitating disease contributes to more than 1.5
million new fractures of the hip, spine and forearm.
With
the availability of effective drug therapies, there's new hope for
millions of women and men with osteoporosis. However, to assure that
patients at risk for fracture receive proper treatment, they must
first be identified. The treatment of osteoporosis should begin with
an objective, quantifiable measurement of the patient's bone
density.
Visit the
Hologic
website to learn more.
Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and is estimated to
affect one of every two women and one in five men. Eighty percent of those
affected by osteoporosis are women, but by age 75 years, one third of all men
also are affected. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures
annually in the United States, and the annual estimated health care costs for
this disease approach $18 billion.
There is an age-related pattern of bone loss in the normal older adult,
particularly the older woman. At the turn of the 19th century, the
average left span of a woman in the United States was just over 50 years, and at
that time, few women lived past menopause and did not experience the ravaging
effects of osteoporosis. It is now apparent that much of the female population
of the United States is living far beyond the age of menopause. Because women
now live longer, much attention has been directed to osteoporosis. New options
for treatment of osteoporosis are available. Ideally, the best strategy for the
prevention of osteoporosis is early detection.
Assessment of osteoporosis begins with a risk analysis. The common risk
factors for osteoporosis are listed in the box below. Women are at a
higher risk than men for osteoporosis, and Caucasians and Asians are at a higher
risk than other ethnic groups. Small body structure puts an individual at
an even higher risk than an individual with larger bone structure. The
presence of a family history of osteoporosis is a major risk factor for the
development of osteoporosis.
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis: The more times you answer yes, the greater
your risk for developing osteoporosis
- Do you have a small frame, or are you Caucasian or Asian?
- Do you have a family history of osteoporosis?
- Are you a postmenopausal woman?
- Have you had an early or surgically-induced menopause?
- Have you been taking excessive thyroid medication or high doses of
cortisone-like drugs for asthma, arthritis, or cancer?
- Is your diet low in dairy products and other sources of calcium?
- Are you physically inactive?
- Do you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol in excess?
Some of the signs and symptoms of osteoporosis can mimic those of other bone
diseases, such as loss of height, curved spine, and back pain. Specific
clinical assessment is necessary for an accurate diagnosis. Diagnostic
technology that accurately measures bone density is called dual energy x-ray
absorptiometry (DEXA). This precise, efficient, and accurate measurement of
bone density, along with a clinical assessment of risk factors and signs and
symptoms of osteoporosis, will be summarized by the providers at Webster
Orthopaedic Medical Group and made available to your referring provider.
Further assessment, education, and treatment are available upon request. |
