The purpose of screening is to find and treat disease early. Screening tests are given to people who don’t have symptoms. However, they may be at a high risk for developing it.
Screening Guidelines
The decision to screen or not is usually based on your risk factors. The National Osteoporosis Foundation suggests:
- All women aged 65 years and older and men aged 70 years and older
-
Women who have been through
menopause
with one or more risk factors
- Men aged 50-69 years old with one or more risk factors
- Any adult age 50 years and older with a broken bone
(not caused by injury)
- Any adult with health conditions that cause bone loss
- Any adult who takes medicines that cause bone loss
Screening Tests
A
bone mineral density test
(BMD) screens for osteoporosis. BMD measures your bone mass. Then, it’s compared to a healthy 30 year old adult. It may also be compared to the normal bone mass of someone your age. This is called a Z score. BMD results let you know if your bone density is in a normal range or not.
