Regarding Women Home

Do You Need a Bone Density Test?

Whether or not you need a bone density test is an important issue for you to discuss with your doctor. Ten million Americans have osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to weaken and break more easily. Both men and women can develop osteoporosis, but women face a much higher risk. And Caucasian and Asian women are more likely than those of other ethnicities to develop this disease. Having a family history of osteoporosis boosts risk, too. Consuming too little calcium or vitamin D, not getting enough exercise, smoking, and excessive drinking can also put you at risk for osteoporosis.

Many people don’t realize they have osteoporosis until they fracture a bone. For this reason, it often is called the “silent disease.” But new research suggests that a bone mineral density (BMD ) test might help you break the silence.

A bone density test is a quick, safe, and painless test that measures the strength of your bones. In the past, there was no evidence that having this test could prevent hip fractures. But a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that women and men age 65 and older who had a BMD test had a 36 percent lower hip fracture risk six years later than unscreened adults.

Learning you are at risk may help motivate you to adopt healthy habits to keep your bones strong and fracture-proof:

• Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D. People age 51 and older need 1,200 milligrams of calcium every day. Those ages 51 to 70 should consume 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D daily, and individuals older than age 70 need 600 IUs. If you don’t get enough of these nutrients in your diet, your doctor might recommend supplements.
• Avoid alcohol or limit your intake.
• Perform weight-bearing exercises on most days of the week. Examples include walking, stair climbing, dancing, and jogging.
• If you smoke, quit.