Osteoporosis is the condition in which there is loss of bone mass or thinning of the bone that results in increased risk for fractures.  Most of the time, you’ll see more public health messages and information that is aimed at older women and their risk for osteoporosis.  However, men can get osteoporosis too and if they suffer a hip fracture, they will have similar problems as their women counterparts.

  1. The doctor will usually order a bone density scan to help determine whether a patient has osteoporosis and what treatments are needed.
  2. Who gets screening for this?  Usually women over the age of 65 or men over the age of 70.  For younger patients, if have a history that suggests higher risk for development of osteoporosis, your doctor will advise that you get a screening bone density earlier.
  3. Your test results can be put into 3 basic categories.   You can have a normal study which means your bone density puts you at low risk for fractures.  You can have osteopenia which means you have a slight bone loss and a higher risk for fractures.  And finally, you can have osteoporosis which means you definitely have a high risk for fractures and should talk to your doctor about getting treatments.
  4. In addition to the prescriptions that your doctor will give you, you should probably be on Calcium plus Vitamin D supplements.  You can ask your doctor about how much supplementation you need.  Typically, older women can have about 1000 to 1500 mg of calcium supplement per day though this can vary based on individual diets.
  5. If you have osteoporosis and are under treatment, you should also check with your doctor on when a repeat scan should be done to assess the effectiveness of the treatment.  There are many options available for treatment which include a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly regimens.  Costs will vary depending on generic availability and whether your prescription plan covers a particular medication.

If you haven’t have a bone density test and think you should get one, talk to your doctor.

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