Winning the Fight Against Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis results in more than 1 million hip, spine and wrist fractures annually. This disorder affects nearly one-half of all postmenopausal women, the largest group at risk for osteoporosis.
Research in osteoporosis, the disorder in which progressive bone loss results in increased risk of fracture, is making important new advances. A key factor in the success has been the availability of new and improved equipment to measure bone density.
Using a bone densitometer, physicians can measure bone density and follow it over time. If a patient's bone density is low, or decreases at an abnormally fast rate, the patient may be at risk for osteoporosis. Through changes in diet, exercise habits and/or medications, further deterioration of bone can be prevented.
"Evaluating bone density using conventional X-ray systems did not reveal a potential problem until a patient had lost 25-30 percent of bone density," said Terri Hannon, OLBH Radiology director. "Now in just a few minutes, this highly sensitive densitometer helps us identify risk at a much earlier stage. It also can evaluate response to treatment so that we know whether a particular therapy is effective or if it needs to be modified."
Bone density exams are very comfortable procedures. There is no special preparation and exams take only a few minutes to complete. This procedure is available at the OLBH Radiology department. Contact the CareLine at (606) 833-CARE or your doctor for more information.
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