$Unique_ID{BRK02464}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{How Can Osteoporosis Be Prevented?}
$Subject{bone disease osteoporosis weakened bones fractures mineral density
bmd radiological techniques quantitative digital radiography dexa prevent
prevention diseases weak weaken fracture minerals densities techniques}
$Volume{M-17,R-17}
$Log{
Contributing Factors to Osteoporosis*0005701.scf
Osteoporosis*0005702.scf}

Copyright (c) 1992,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


How Can Osteoporosis Be Prevented?


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QUESTION:  I have read so much about the bone disease osteoporosis that I
mentioned it to my doctor when I last visited him.  I wanted to have some type
of test to see if I was becoming a victim of the disease.  He told me that
there was no screening test available yet, and that at age 40, I had little to
worry about.  Do you think that a "prescription" for exercise and calcium was
the proper way to deal with my request?

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ANSWER:  For the most part, osteoporosis is a disease of women past the age of
menopause.  There are other situations that also may lead to the development
of this condition, which results from the loss of minerals that form the bone.
Patients who have been taking cortisone-like medicines over long periods of
time, women who have had their ovaries removed, and patients with overactive
parathyroid glands, may also develop the weakened bones and fractures that
characterize osteoporosis.  However, assuming you have none of these
conditions and are still having your periods on a regular basis, your
physician's advice is certainly in line with current thinking.  There are no
blood or urine tests that can identify osteoporosis, and, as yet, there is no
procedure that has been generally accepted as a screening test.  A screening
test must be one that is sensitive enough to find the disease, accurate enough
to be reliable, and cheap enough to use on many asymptomatic people without
breaking the bank.  Measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) are the basis
of available radiological techniques used to diagnose osteoporosis because
their results provide a good indication of bone strength.  Some tests measure
the ability of photons (particles of radiant energy) to pass through bone, as
a measure of their density, while others use specialized CT (computerized
tomography) scans to evaluate the bone.  A new technique, "quantitative
digital radiography" (or DEXA), is a technique now being evaluated.  While
none of these procedures are particularly cheap, the scientists who are
interested in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis point to the
enormous cost of undiagnosed osteoporosis and make the claim that these
procedures can be cost-effective.  Until they can prove their point, the
prescription of exercise and calcium in a young woman your age is a very
effective method of helping you prevent the disease you fear.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.