Prevention key with osteoporosis
New scanner at HRMC helps detect bone disease
By Casey Clark Ney
Argus Observer
Sunday, January 20, 2008 1:59 AM PST
Ontario - According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis. An additional 34 million Americans have an increased risk of developing the bone disease.
Area residents now have access to a machine that can help detect and manage osteoporosis. Jeff Zweifel, director of the Diagnostic Imaging Department at Holy Rosary Medical Center said the Dual Energy X-ray Absorption scanner has arrived at the hospital and is now available to qualifying patients.
The DEXA scanner utilizes a small amount of x-ray to measure a patients bone density. Measurements are taken of the spine and hip to determine bone mass density and the risk, if any, the patient has toward osteoporosis and osteopenia.
“The machine will give us a reading to tell us how likely you are to have a facture in the future due to bone mass loss,” Zweifel said.
In all, the test is very simple and requires about 10 minutes of the patient’s time. “It’s kind of nice because there is no pre-testing, you don’t have to get any labs, you usually don’t have to change your clothes,” Zweifel said. “It’s very simple and very comfortable and you get a reading while your there.”
The DEXA has only been in operation at HRMC for under a month. It is the only machine of its kind in the surrounding area, Zweifel said.
In the past, the imaging department utilized a CT to perform bone mass examinations. The CT also uses x-ray imaging, but it isn’t as efficient as the DEXA. “A lot of the physicians prefer the DEXA,” Zweifel said.
According to Zweifel one of the main objectives for the DEXA is to monitor bone mass and prevent osteoporosis.
“You begin losing your bone mass at post-menopause,” Zweifel said. “Patients in post-menopause should defiantly request this procedure be done by their physician.”
Zweifel said a routine scan by the DEXA should be done every two years to chart the patient’s bone mass. He also said the scanner can be used to monitor the effectiveness of medication used to curb osteoporosis and osteopenia.
While osteoporosis most often afflicts females, Zweifel said it is also important for males to discuss the disease with their physician.
“Men do also suffer from this but it’s at a greatly decrease amount,” Zweifel said.
According to Zweifel, osteoporosis is a progressive disease preceded by osteopenia. The disease is preventable if detected early and treated with therapy. “The key to this is prevention,” he said.
“What osteoporosis does is it’s a disease that makes you bones become more fragile and more likely to break,” Zweifel said. “Your bones become more porous.”
Zweifel recommends a healthy lifestyle to ward off the disease. “Prevention doesn’t start when you are 50,” he said. Exercise, a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D are all good ways to prevent osteoporosis. Additionally, Zweifel said no smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is key to staying healthy.
“Preventive measures I think goes a long way in the end,” he said. “We need to get better about being preventative rather then reactive. It’s something you don’t really think about.”
Individuals who would like to receive a DEXA scan must first qualify through their physician. When approved, an appointment can be made through the HRMC Central Scheduling Department.
Casey Clark Ney is a correspondent for the Argus Observer based in Idaho. She can be contacted at (208) 405-1096 or by e-mail, CaseyClarkNey@earthlink.net.
