When you need them—and when you don’t

A bone-density test is a way to measure thestrength of your bones. The test, called a DEXAscan, is a kind of X-ray. Many people get a bone-density test every few years. The main reason to have the test is to find and treat serious bone loss, called osteoporosis,and prevent fractures and disability. Most men and women under age 65 probably don’t need the test.

Who should get a bone density scan?

Women should get a DEXA scan at age 65, and men age 70 and up. They may want to talk with their doctors about the risks and benefits before deciding. Younger women and men ages 50 to 69 should consider the test if they have risk factors for serious bone loss. Risk factors include:

• Breaking a bone in a minor accident.
• Having rheumatoid arthritis.
• Having a parent who broke a hip.
• Smoking.
• Drinking heavily.
• Having a low body weight.
• Using corticosteroid drugs for three months or more.
• Having a disorders associated with osteoporosis.

You may need a follow-up bone-density test after several years, depending on the results of your first test.

Conditions: Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, Bone Mineral Density (BMD), Fracture

Diagnostic Tests: Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Scans (DEXA), Bone Density Test