Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease which causes the bones to lose calcium and other minerals causing weakness and brittleness. Fractures can occur from an otherwise minor fall or bump and occur most commonly in the hip, wrist or spine. Women are more prone to this disease, particularly post menopausal Caucasian and Asian women. Early assessment is vital to halting bone loss and developing a treatment protocol to improve the density and avoid a future fracture.
Measuring bone density is easy using advanced imaging equipment such as Dual-Energy X-Ray. Radiation exposure is lower than a traditional chest x-ray and there is no need for intravenous fluid to be used as in other testing. The test takes 15 to 20 minutes and requires no preparation other than to avoid taking calcium supplements 24 hours prior to the scan.