Bone density screening can help slow osteoporosis
Patty Fife, radiology supervisor at Mon Valley Hospital, prepares to test the bone density of Stella Becker, 85, of Monongahela.
About 33 percent of women and 20 percent of men will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime.
As youngsters, we listen to adults – mostly our grandparents – talk about things like arthritis and osteoporosis, but we rarely think of how that applies, or ever will apply, to us.
Andrea Sweeney, 47, of McMurray, comes from a family in which osteoporosis – a disease in which the bone becomes fragile – is hereditary. Her grandmother had it, her mother has it, and she learned after having her first bone density screening last year that she is also in the early stage of the disease, referred to as osteopenia. Sweeney had her test done at Magee-Women’s Imaging in the South Hills at the recommendation of her doctor.
“I was told that five years after a woman has gone through menopause, she should have her first bone density screening,” said Sweeney. “Because of the decreased estrogen in postmenopausal women, early onset osteoporosis is more likely.”
The doctors told Sweeney that by taking extra calcium, most likely in the form of supplements, she can slow down the progression of bone loss but cannot necessarily improve it.
Because Sweeny also has scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, it is important that she regularly does strength-training exercises for her back.
“Doing weight-bearing exercises are also important,” said Sweeney. “I use hand weights for arm raises and squats. I also know that walking is an excellent way to maintain bone density so I try to walk at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes at a time.”
Sweeney won’t need another bone density screening for at least five years now, but she is happy that she learned early in her life that she is at risk for osteoporosis and feels fortunate that she had a chance to get an early start on keeping her bones strong.
She said the test was easy, quick, and noninvasive. Her test was performed with a central DEXA machine, for which she lay on a soft table and the scanner passed over the lower spine and hip area. This type of scan is the best test to predict the risk of fractures. In Sweeney’s case, the test indicated osteopenia in her spine and left hip.
Recently, dozens of local residents also took the opportunity to test for osteoporosis by utilizing a free bone density screening sponsored by MVH Healthy Directions at the Finleyville Giant Eagle. To determine if a patient requires further treatment, the screening at Giant Eagle used a peripheral DEXA scanner, a smaller machine that measures the bone density in the wrist, fingers, leg, or heel – the heel is often measured because its bone is similar to that found in the hip, where fractures most often occur.
It is recommended that the following groups (both men and women) get screened for osteoporosis, according to Patricia Fife, radiology supervisor at Monongahela Valley Hospital:
• Women over 65 and men over age 70
• Women under age 65 and men ages 50 to 70 who are at increased risk of osteoporosis if they have a broken bone caused by normal activities, such as a fall from standing height or lower; chronic rheumatoid arthritis; chronic kidney disease; eating disorders; early menopause; history of hormone treatment for prostate cancer or breast cancer; significant loss of height due to compression fractures of the back; smoking; strong family history of osteoporosis; taking corticosteroid medications every day for more than three months; or three or more drinks of alcohol per day on most days.
“As we age, bones begin to break down faster than new bone can be formed,” explained Fife. “Osteoporosis removes minerals from bones until they become so weak and brittle that they fracture very easily. Actions such as bending to pick up a newspaper, lifting a vacuum, or even coughing can cause a fracture. Some fractures, such as hip fractures, may require hospitalization or major surgery, and may result in disability or even death.”