Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. In most cases, osteoporosis can be prevented and/or treated, but left untreated it can progress painlessly until it is too late and a bone breaks. In the United States today, 10 million individuals already have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass, which places them at higher risk for developing this disease.

Risk factors for osteoporosis include:

• Gender - women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, due to thinner, lighter bones and the decrease in estrogen production that occurs during menopause.
• Age - the longer you live, the greater the chances of developing osteoporosis.
• Family History - susceptibility to osteoporosis is due in part to heredity.
• Ethnicity - Caucasian, Asian and Latina women are at a higher risk.
• Body Size - low body weight (under 127 pounds) and a small-boned frame place you at greater risk.
• Lifestyle - a diet low in calcium, inadequate Vitamin D, little or no excercise, current cigarette smoking or excessive use of alcohol are all risk factors.

If you are interested in this program, please call our office to schedule an appointment to have a Dexascan. Dexascans are done in our Olney office. Please note that we cannot perform Dexascans on patients with an HMO insurance. Other insurances will typically cover a Dexascan every 2 years. After having your DexaScan, you will be scheduled for a follow-up visit with our Physiatrist, Dr. Rebecca Aronson, in our Olney or Columbia office.

If you are coming in for your DexaScan, please fill out the Bone Densitometry Patient History Form.

For more information about Osteoporosis, please visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation website at www.nof.org.

Site Last Updated: 24-Sep-09
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