Tomcik, W. DEEXA Glucose monitoring advancements links to relevant websites. Fonteille and P. Osteoporosis increases the risk for broken bones and can have serious effects in older adults.

DEXA scan benefits -

DEXA scans produce a detailed image of a person's body, allowing for the precise measurement of different body compartments. This information can be used to track changes in body composition over time and make informed decisions about diet and exercise.

Additionally, DEXA scans are non-invasive and safe. Unlike other types of body composition scans, DEXA scans use low-dose X-rays. The procedure is quick, painless, and requires no preparation, making it a convenient option. Total body composition. Our imaging services Types of Imaging. You'll also need a bit of time to change into a hospital gown if that's expected.

Once the test is over, you do not have to wait for results from your scan. These will be interpreted by a radiologist, who will create a report and send it to your healthcare provider. Location: Central DEXA scans are done on an outpatient basis you don't have to stay overnight in a hospital.

Typically, they take place in the radiology department of a hospital or medical center, or a freestanding imaging center. What to Wear: Dress in loose, comfortable clothing. Don't wear anything that has metal on it—zippers, buttons, buckles, decorative embellishments—as metal can interfere with the accuracy of the test.

Leave your jewelry at home. You will have to remove it for the scan, and you may risk losing it. You'll probably be instructed to remove all or some of your clothes and put on a gown during the exam. Food and Drink: There are no dietary restrictions before a DEXA scan. On the day of your test, you can eat as you regularly do.

However, if you routinely take calcium supplements, you should stop for at least 24 hours before your exam. Cost and Health Insurance: According to the non-profit American Bone Health, if you're a woman who's 65 or older or a man who's 70 or older, and you're on Medicare, you can have a bone density test every two years.

If you have another type of health insurance, you probably will be covered for a DEXA if you have risk factors for osteoporosis or fractures, such as early menopause younger than age 40 , a prior low-impact fracture, or a disease or condition such as arthritis, lupus, or multiple sclerosis.

org, a non-profit patient advocacy organization affiliated with the American Board of Internal Medicine. What to Bring: You should bring your insurance card and any paperwork, such as a prescription or referral, that your healthcare provider provides you with. Other Considerations: If you've recently had a barium enema or swallow or received an injection of contrast material for a computed tomography CT or CAT scan or radioisotope scan, let your healthcare provider know.

You may have to postpone the DEXA scan for up to a couple of weeks. Over the course of your time at the hospital or imaging center, you will interact with several people, including a receptionist when you check in for your procedure, a nurse who will guide you through any clothing changes or other preparations for the scan, and the technician who will perform the scan.

Here's an overview of what to expect from when you check in for your DEXA scan until the test is complete and you are free to leave. Pre-Test: When you arrive at the hospital or medical center where your DEXA scan will take place, you will first go through the check-in protocol for that facility, including having your health insurance card copied and filling out any required forms.

This may include a questionnaire from your healthcare provider about any medical conditions you may have or medications you take that might have an impact on your bone strength. Depending on timing, you may have to wait in a common room until you're called for your scan.

At that point, you'll be taken by a nurse to a place where you can change into a hospital gown, if necessary. You will then be asked to lie on a padded table. Below the table is an X-ray generator, and above it is an imaging device that resembles a mechanical arm.

Usually, a DEXA scan focuses on two specific areas: the spine and the hip. That's because these are the sites where most fractures caused by low bone density osteopenia or bone loss occur.

If for some reason your hip or spine cannot be X-rayed—because you've had a hip replacement, for example—it's likely your forearm will be scanned instead. In order for the machine can get an accurate picture of your spine, the technician will position your legs so that they're supported on a padded box.

This will allow your pelvis and lower lumbar spine to naturally flatten out. Throughout the Test: The technician will leave the room momentarily to activate the machine, which will send a thin, invisible beam of low-dose X-rays with two energy peaks through the bone. One peak will be absorbed by soft tissue and the other by bone.

The amount of radiation absorbed by the soft tissue will be subtracted from the total to reveal total bone mineral density. During the few seconds the X-ray is being taken, you will need to hold very still, and you may even be instructed to hold your breath to prevent the image from being blurry.

This is the closest thing to discomfort you'll experience during a DEXA scan—the test itself is painless. To scan your hip, the technician will place your foot in a device that will gently rotate your hip inward. He will then leave the room to turn on the machine.

Again, you'll need to be still and perhaps hold your breath for a few seconds. Post-Test: Once the DEXA scan is complete, you can change back into your clothes and leave. Although the timing varies according to the hospital, facility, and radiologist who will be assessing your DEXA scan, you probably will hear back from your healthcare provider with the results within a week or two.

The results of a bone density measurement DEXA scan are reported in two ways: as T-scores and as Z-scores. A T-score compares your bone density to the optimal peak bone density for your gender. It is reported as the number of standard deviations below the average, which is based on the bone density of a healthy year-old adult.

A Z-score is used to compare your results to others of the same age, weight, ethnicity, and gender. This is useful to determine if there is something unusual contributing to your bone loss.

A Z-score over 2. Specifically, a Z-score of less than These factors may include thyroid abnormalities, malnutrition, medication interactions, tobacco use, and others.

Follow-Up: Your DEXA scan scores will determine if you might benefit from taking medication for osteoporosis. For people 50 and older, these are the guidelines from the NOF:. The NOF advises that people who take medication to treat osteoporosis have a repeat DEXA scan every year or two to evaluate how well the treatment is working.

If a patient switches to a different drug, most healthcare providers will want a follow-up scan after a year on the new medication. For younger adults, such as women still menstruating, as well as teenagers and children, most experts recommend using Z-scores to make a follow-up determination, although the NOF does not recommend routine bone density testing for these groups.

You may have come across peripheral tests or screening tests for osteoporosis. These are typically offered at health fairs. Examples include peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry pDEXA , quantitative ultrasound QUS , and peripheral quantitative computed tomography pQCT. It is important to know that these screening tests are not able to diagnose osteoporosis.

Screening tests simply identify people who should obtain further testing with a central DEXA. The results of a peripheral versus a central DEXA test are also not comparable.

Remember that DEXA scans measure an individual's risk of fracture. If you have already sustained a fragility fracture, by definition, you have a diagnosis of osteoporosis regardless of the T-score result.

Blake GM, Fogelman I. The role of DXA bone density scans in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Postgrad Med J. Richardson JC, Hassell AB, Hay EM, Thomas E. Health Expect. Kling JM, Clarke BL, Sandhu NP.

Osteoporosis prevention, screening, and treatment: a review. J Womens Health Larchmt. Radiological Society of North America. Bone Densitometry DEXA, DXA. Brownbill RA, Ilich JZ. Measuring body composition in overweight individuals by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry.

BMC Med Imaging. Heilmeier U, Youm J, Torabi S, Link TM. Osteoporosis Imaging in the Geriatric Patient. Curr Radiol Rep. Njeh CF, Fuerst T, Hans D, Blake GM, Genant HK.

Bone densitometry, also called DEXA scan benefits x-ray scqn, DEXA or DXA, uses xcan very benerits Glucose monitoring advancements of DEXA scan benefits radiation Eye health protection produce pictures of the inside of the body usually the lower or lumbar spine and hips to measure bone loss. It is commonly used to diagnose osteoporosis, to assess an individual's risk for developing osteoporotic fractures. DXA is simple, quick and noninvasive. It's also the most commonly used and the most standard method for diagnosing osteoporosis. This exam requires little to no special preparation.

DEXA scan benefits -

The scan also slightly increases the possibility of cancer in the future. While everyone is exposed to some types of radiation in daily life, any additional exposure—such as through an imaging test—can marginally increase cancer risk. The increased risk is similar to that of a regular X-ray.

Talk to a healthcare provider to weigh the risk of radiation exposure and the benefits of a DEXA scan. As compared to the other scans available for the screening of your bone health, DEXA scan is relatively inexpensive and has a shorter scan time.

A DEXA scan, or bone mineral density scan, is an imaging test used to check your bone health. The scan uses two low-energy X-rays to take images of bones of the hip, spine, and wrist.

A DEXA scan can help in the diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis. The scan can also help predict fracture risk and manage already-diagnosed osteoporosis. DEXA scans can also measure your fat and muscle composition in certain areas of the body, making the scan a potential step in the diagnosis or treatment of conditions like malabsorption.

Talk to your healthcare provider about why a DEXA scan is being ordered, what you should do to prepare, and what treatment options may be available depending on your results. National Cancer Institute. Bone mineral density scan. Bone density. Bone density scan. Cosman F, de Beur SJ, LeBoff MS, Lewiecki EM, Tanner B, Randall S, Lindsay R.

Osteoporos Int. Krugh M, Langaker MD. Dual energy x-rays absorptiometry. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; Bone mineral density test.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Radiation in healthcare: Bone density DEXA scan. National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

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Medically reviewed by Stella Bard, MD. Stella Bard, MD, is a practicing board-certified internist with 15 years of experience. learn more. In This Article View All. In This Article. Who Needs a DEXA Scan?

What Do DEXA Scan Results Mean? How to Prepare. What to Expect. Are DEXA Scans Safe? Trending Videos. Osteoporosis involves a gradual loss of bone, as well as structural changes, causing the bones to become thinner, more fragile and more likely to break.

DXA is also effective in tracking the effects of treatment for osteoporosis and other conditions that cause bone loss. The DXA test can also assess an individual's risk for developing fractures. The risk of fracture is affected by age, body weight, history of prior fracture, family history of osteoporotic fractures and life style issues such as cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

These factors are taken into consideration when deciding if a patient needs therapy. The Vertebral Fracture Assessment VFA , a low-dose x-ray examination of the spine to screen for vertebral fractures that is performed on the DXA machine, may be recommended for older patients, especially if:.

On the day of the exam you may eat normally. You should wear loose, comfortable clothing, avoiding garments that have zippers, belts or buttons made of metal. Objects such as keys or wallets that would be in the area being scanned should be removed.

Remove jewelry, removable dental appliances, eyeglasses, and any metal objects or clothing that might interfere with the x-ray images. Inform your physician if you recently had a barium examination or have been injected with a contrast material for a computed tomography CT scan or radioisotope scan.

You may have to wait 10 to 14 days before undergoing a DXA test. Women should always tell their doctor and technologist if they are pregnant. Doctors will not perform many tests during pregnancy to avoid exposing the fetus to radiation.

If an x-ray is necessary, the doctor will take precautions to minimize radiation exposure to the baby. See the Radiation Safety page for more information about pregnancy and x-rays.

Most of the devices used for DXA are central devices, which are used to measure bone density in the hip and spine. They are usually located in hospitals and medical offices. Central devices have a large, flat table and an "arm" suspended overhead.

Peripheral devices measure bone density in the wrist, heel or finger and are often available in drugstores and on mobile health vans in the community. The pDXA devices are smaller than the central DXA devices, weighing only about 60 pounds.

They may have a portable box-like structure with a space for the foot or forearm to be placed for imaging. Other portable technologies such as specially designed ultrasound machines, are also sometimes used for screening.

However, central DXA is the standard technique. The DXA machine sends a thin, invisible beam of low-dose x-rays with two distinct energy peaks through the bones being examined. One peak is absorbed mainly by soft tissue and the other by bone.

The soft tissue amount can be subtracted from the total and what remains is a patient's bone mineral density. DXA machines feature special software that compute and display the bone density measurements on a computer monitor.

In the central DXA examination, which measures bone density of the hip and spine, the patient lies on a padded table.

An x-ray generator is located below the patient and an imaging device, or detector, is positioned above.

To assess the spine, the patient's legs are supported on a padded box to flatten the pelvis and lower lumbar spine. To assess the hip, the patient's foot is placed in a brace that rotates the hip inward.

In both cases, the detector is slowly passed over the area, generating images on a computer monitor. You must hold very still and may need to hold your breath for a few seconds while the technologist takes the x-ray. This helps reduce the possibility of a blurred image. The technologist will walk behind a wall or into the next room to activate the x-ray machine.

The peripheral tests are simpler. The finger, hand, forearm or foot is placed in a small device that obtains a bone density reading within a few minutes. An additional procedure called Vertebral Fracture Assessment VFA is now being done at many centers.

VFA is a low-dose x-ray examination of the spine to screen for vertebral fractures that is performed on the DXA machine. The DXA bone density test is usually completed within 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the equipment used and the parts of the body being examined.

You will probably be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will help the doctor determine if you have medical conditions or take certain medications that either increase or decrease your risk of a fracture.

The World Health Organization has recently released an online survey that combines the DXA results and a few basic questions and can be used to predict year risk of hip fracture or other major osteoporotic fractures for post-menopausal women.

Routine evaluations every two years may be needed to see a significant change in bone mineral density, decrease or increase. Few patients, such as patients on high dose steroid medication, may need follow-up at six months.

A radiologist , a doctor trained to supervise and interpret radiology examinations, will analyze the images. The radiologist will send a signed report to your primary care or referring physician who will discuss the results with you. DXA scans are also interpreted by other physicians such as rheumatologists and endocrinologists.

A clinician should review your DXA scan while assessing the presence of clinical risk factors such as:. T score — This number shows the amount of bone you have compared with a young adult of the same gender with peak bone mass. A score of -1 and above is considered normal. A score between A score of The T score is used to estimate your risk of developing a fracture and also to determine if treatment is required.

Z score — This number reflects the amount of bone you have compared with other people in your age group and of the same size and gender. If this score is unusually high or low, it may indicate a need for further medical tests.

Small changes may normally be observed between scans due to differences in positioning and usually are not significant. Doctors take special care during x-ray exams to use the lowest radiation dose possible while producing the best images for evaluation.

National and international radiology protection organizations continually review and update the technique standards radiology professionals use. Modern x-ray systems minimize stray scatter radiation by using controlled x-ray beams and dose control methods.

This ensures that the areas of your body not being imaged receive minimal radiation exposure. Please type your comment or suggestion into the text box below. Note: we are unable to answer specific questions or offer individual medical advice or opinions.

org is not a medical facility. Please contact your physician with specific medical questions or for a referral to a radiologist or other physician. To locate a medical imaging or radiation oncology provider in your community, you can search the ACR-accredited facilities database.

This website does not provide cost information. The costs for specific medical imaging tests, treatments and procedures may vary by geographic region. Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by a physician with expertise in the medical area presented and is further reviewed by committees from the Radiological Society of North America RSNA and the American College of Radiology ACR , comprising physicians with expertise in several radiologic areas.

Outside links: For the convenience of our users, RadiologyInfo. org provides links to relevant websites.

org , RSNA and ACR are not responsible for the content contained on the web pages found at these links. Toggle navigation. What is a bone density Scan?

What are some common uses of the procedure? How should I prepare? What does the equipment look like? How does the procedure work? How is the procedure performed?

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