KNOXVILLE, IA – One in five women and one in 20 men over the age of 50 are affected by osteoporosis. Routine bone density screening can identify those at the greatest risk before a debilitating injury occurs.
For more than 18 years, Knoxville Hospital & Clinics (KHC) has provided bone density scanning or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning for patients in conjunction with Knoxville Nuclear Medicine.
Bone Density Testing and Osteoporosis
DEXA scans are critical for accurately measuring calcium and other minerals in your bones. These tests can detect bone conditions early and most often is used to diagnose osteoporosis—a condition that often affects women after menopause but can also be found in men.
Osteoporosis involves a gradual loss of calcium, causing the bones to become thinner, more fragile, and more likely to break. Through DEXA scanning, if your bone density is found to be low, you and your health care provider can work together to develop a treatment plan designed to help prevent fractures before they occur.
According to Michelle Irwin, Director of Imaging at KHC, DEXA scanning is a widely accepted type of bone density screening and is ideal to help diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis.
“Detecting osteoporosis before a fracture occurs is very important and needs to be identified and treated,” said Irwin. “In many cases, DEXA scans are ideal for those with a moderate risk of osteoporosis. If osteoporosis is discovered, it’s much easier to treat if it’s diagnosed earlier.”
Who should have a DEXA bone density test
According to the CDC, screening for osteoporosis is recommended for women who are 65 years old or older and for women who are 50 to 64 and have certain risk factors, such as having a parent who has broken a hip. However, there are other risk factors for osteoporosis besides age and gender, such as some intestinal disorders, multiple sclerosis, or low body weight. Your health care provider may recommend a DEXA scan if you have any of these other risk factors.
- Men aged 70 and older
- Adults with a fragility fracture (fracture with little or no trauma, such as a fall from standing height)
- Adults with a disease or condition associated with low bone mass or bone loss
- Adults taking medications associated with low bone mass or bone loss
- Adults with lifestyle factors that lead to bone loss, such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake
- Women during the menopausal transition and men younger than 70 with risk factors for low bone mass including low body weight and prior fracture
- Women who have lost more than 1.5 inches and men who have lost more than two inches from their tallest height
Schedule a Bone Density Test
DEXA scans are a simple, non-invasive test at KHC, but they do require a referral from your health care provider. Talk to your health care provider about scheduling a DEXA scan at KHC. To begin the discussion today, call (641) 842-7211.
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics is a non-profit community hospital serving Marion County and the surrounding area. Named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, KHC’s highly skilled medical staff and specialists provide personal, compassionate, and innovative quality health care to patients. For more information regarding this release and other happenings at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics, call Public Relations at (641) 842-1418.
Photo caption: For more than 18 years, Knoxville Hospital & Clinics has provided bone density scanning or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning for patients in conjunction with Knoxville Nuclear Medicine. It is important to Imaging Tech Taylor Vandenberg that she helps patients detect osteopenia and osteoporosis making it easier to treat if diagnosed.