Dr Khalid Makhdomi
Osteoporosis is characterised by low bone density with a consequent increased susceptibility to fractures.
Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease," because it does not produce symptoms until a fracture occurs.
The hip, spine, and forearm are the bones most likely to break. One in two women, and one in eight men are at risk for fracture or have at least one spinal fracture and don’t know it. Spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis are most often painless, greatly increasing the risk for future fractures. A woman’s risk of hip fracture alone equals her combined risk of developing breast, uterine or ovarian cancer.
Preventable and treatable
The diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis begins with an objective measurement of your current bone density. Today, when doctors detect bone loss in the earliest stage, treatment is more successful. Several drug therapies are effective in slowing down or reversing the bone-loss process.
Bone densitometry is the technique for evaluation of the density of bones. DXA (Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry), a painless examination consisting of a very low dose X-ray, is the latest technique for bone densitometry. DXA of the hip and spine is the gold standard for baseline bone density determination and follow-up measurements because of its high precision and accuracy, ability to measure bone density at all clinically relevant sites and modest radiation exposure. It is more accurate than bone density measurements done by CT machines, the previously used technique, and it also gives significantly less radiation than the CT scan.
An additional capability, Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA), a 10-second, low-dose X-ray scan of the entire spine, allows doctors to see existing vertebral fractures, which may indicate the need for more aggressive treatment, even if bone density results are in the "normal" range. IVA may be performed in conjunction with a bone density test, during the same appointment, and the results are immediately available for the doctor’s review. In this way, your doctor can provide a more thorough assessment of your bone health...quickly and conveniently.
—The writer is a Nuclear Physician at Aga Khan University Hospital
