Men over the age of 50 and postmenopausal women should be screened yearly for bone density loss.
Major Osteoporosis Factors
Your family doctor may way several risk factors to help determine if you are a candidate for osteoporosis. These include:
Early menopause before age 45
Fragility of fracture after age 40
Being 65 years of age or over
Systematic use of medications known as glucocorticoids for more than a three month period
A history of falls
Vertebral fractures
Family history of osteoporosis or osteoporosis fracture, especially on the maternal side. Also maternal hip fracture
Minor Risk Factors
A history of hyperthyroidism
Being a smoker
Being an excessive drinker
Drinking excess amounts of products containing caffeine
Body weight of over 126 lbs. (57 kg)
Losing more than 10% of total body weight before the age of 25
Having rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic use of the medication heparin
Low calcium intake from dietary food
Determining the Presence of Osteoporosis
The above list is the most common factors that your doctor will use to determine if you have osteoporosis. He will take your family history into account and give you a physical exam. This gives him a wide range of knowledge about your risk of developing osteoporosis. If he feels your risk factor is high, he will order a bone density test. The test is performed by using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
What is Bone Densitometry?
You may not be aware of the presence of osteoporosis because there are no signs or symptoms until the disease is fairly well advanced. The best ways for your doctor to determine if you are losing bone mineral density too quickly is by ordering a bone densitometry test. This will tell your doctor exactly how quickly your bone density is deteriorating when he compares your bone mass to normal ranges. By performing the bone densitometry test, your doctor can chart and record your bone loss over a period of time.