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BONE DENSITY
Osteoporosis, the
loss of calcium from bone, must be prevented and treated. To do this effectively, it is
necessary to measure bone density. Treating osteoporosis without this vital number is like
filling your tires with air without the benefit of a tire gauge.
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LUNAR DPX is
the world's most popular densitometer, delivering excellent clinical utility at a
reasonable price.
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The current state of
the art is dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning. A modern DEXA scanner is a
$65-80,000 machine that gives extremely accurate and reproducible results in about five
minutes. A DEXA scan requires no needles or medications, is completely painless, and
delivers less radiation than a regular chest x-ray. The built-in computer database yields
the density of the patient's bones compared to the "control" or average of a
number of healthy young people. These numbers are compared to standards published by the
World Health Organization (WHO) so the doctor can determine the best treatment for each
patient. |
With the DEXA results, the osteoporosis expert can create a treatment program individually
tailored to the patient's needs. The DEXA scan should be repeated at regular intervals to
continually reassess the beneficial effects of medications, exercise, and physical therapy.
Unfortunately, most
doctors only think that they know how to use these numbers. The devil is in the
details. Make sure that your scan is interpreted by a doctor who is certified by the ISCD
(International Society for Clinical Densitometry). This is the only way to be sure of
accuracy, and accuracy is the only way to assure the proper treatment. |
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Copyright © 2006
Brian Peck. All Rights Reserved. |
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