Bone Density Screening for Osteoporosis

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle, increasing your risk of broken bones. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone tissue cannot keep up with the loss of old bone tissue.

Osteoporosis affects 1 in 3 women over 50, but white and Asian women are at the highest risk of developing osteoporosis.

Once you’ve broken a bone from osteoporosis, your risk of breaking another bone increases dramatically. A bone density screening can help identify osteoporosis before you break a bone.

Bone Density Screenings

Bone density screenings are an important part of women’s bone health measures and osteoporosis prevention. During a bone density screening, an x-ray is used to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are present in a specific section of bone. This helps gauge your overall bone strength and bone health. Arm bones, hip bones, and bones in the spine are the most commonly tested areas.

When Should You Get a Bone Density Screening?

If you are 50 years of age or older and have not yet had bone density testing, broken a bone, or received an osteoporosis diagnosis, we recommend you schedule a bone density screening as a preventative measure. A bone health screening such as bone density testing is a great step towards osteoporosis awareness and osteoporosis care.

Women’s Skeletal Health for All Ages

As a trusted women’s clinic in Iowa, the Gabrielson Clinic for Women offers a variety of women’s health services, from routine health screenings to specialty women’s health services. If you are looking for high-quality osteoporosis care in Iowa, contact our women’s health clinic to learn more about our services or make an appointment.