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Dr Robert Armstrong is the Medical Practitioner and Referrer for Bone Density Scanning at Health Tech.
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Bone mineral densitometry is the procedure used to detect the density of calcium and other minerals that make up the normal structure of bone.
WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes the bones to become thin and weak, It is usually the result of an imbalance between the rate of formation of new bone and the normal breakdown of old. New bone formation is lower with a poor diet, and low levels of activity. Some medication affects it and it often runs in the family.
HOW COMMON IS OSTEOPOROSIS?
Very common. About half of all women over the age of 50 in the UK will suffer from
the effects of Osteoporosis. For men about one-
Approximately three million people in the UK have osteoporosis, and there are over 230,000 fractures every year as a result.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Usually no symptoms at all. It is often the case that the first time a person realises that they have osteoporosis is when a fracture occurs, often without a slip or fall.
WHAT PROBLEMS DOES OSTEOPOROSIS CAUSE?
Bone fractures are painful, and sometimes fatal. Some bones cannot heal fully, resulting in permanent disability. An unpleasant statistic is that in the UK about 1 in 7 women sustain a hip fracture, and more women die from the effect of that hip fracture than die from cervical cancer. There is no national screening programme for osteoporosis, unlike that for cervical cancer.
SHOULD I GET CHECKED?
If you are over 40 you should consider the test. If you take certain types of medication,
have a strong family history, or have poor diet then this test is strongly advised.
Osteoporosis is essentially a lifestyle related disease, once you know you are at
risk you can make the appropriate changes; like many other lifestyle-
