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To start treating Osteoporosis we first have to find the people who have it. It often has no symptoms, and routine X rays are not reliable at diagnosing it. |
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| On the Isle of Man we are lucky to have a Dexa Scanner. This machine is the best way to find people who are at the highest risk of having osteoporotic fractures in the future. |
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| How do we find the people at risk? |
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| We try to identify and scan people who have risk factors, such as previous broken hips or wrists, an early menopause, a history of anorexia, smoking and taking oral steroids for more than 3 months, or have rheumatoid arthritis |
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 What happens when you have a scan?
The scanner we have is a DXA Scanner, which is a small "user friendly machine", not intimidating in any way. You have to lie on a couch while the scanning arm goes over the top of your hip and lower back. It is not like a CT scan where you have to go into a tube. You don't even have to take your clothes off. The scan will take about 5 minutes. The test is painless and only uses a tiny amount of radiation.
How does the scan work?
The scan works by "shining" X-rays through your bones. Thin bones let more of the X-rays through onto the detector. Stronger thicker bones do not let so many of the X-rays through. |
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How do you interpret the results? |
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There is no ideal figure as a result. |
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Instead we compare your reading with: |
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- The reading of an "average" adult between 30 & 45 years
- And with an "average" person of your own age.
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These "average" results have been worked out by measuring lots of people with healthy bones. So if you are 70 years old your bones may be thin compared to an "average" adult of 30-45 years, but may be very good compared to an "average" 70 year old. |
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The results have to be done this way because Bone Density changes with age. |
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The World Health Organisation has devised a system to standardise results. |
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We talk about the Standard Deviation (SD). This tells us how far from normal your result is. It may be positive, in which case your result is better than normal. If it is negative you have thinner bones than normal. |
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If your result is 2.5 SD below the average adult result, then you have osteoporosis. |
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If it is between 1.25 and 2.5 SD below average then you have osteopenia, which may develop into osteoporosis. |
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In general the further below average you are, the more likely you are to have a fracture in the future. In fact for every one SD below average your result is, your risk of fracture doubles. |
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Remember though, we can only talk about risk, it is not certain that you will have any problems. |
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On the Isle of Man everyone's result is checked by one of the osteoporosis doctors and your GP is sent the result and advice about the best treatment options. Remember to call your GP to find out the result of your scan. |
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Remember you can do a lot yourself to improve your risks. |
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Regular exercise, more calcium in your diet and stopping smoking can make a big difference. |
