Jan 3, 2008 9:14 pm US/Mountain
Early Bone Scan Key In Fighting Osteoporosis
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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A woman getting a bone-density scan (File)
CBS
Millions of American women have osteoporosis, but experts believe millions more are undiagnosed. A new study has highlighted the importance of catching the condition early -- when problems can be prevented.
Judy Love, 68, was diagnosed with osteoporosis over 10 years ago, but looking at her, you'd never know it.
"I don't have any osteoporosis related problems," Love said.
Love is doing well because doctors caught the condition in her 50s with a common bone-density scan. And according to the study, spotting osteoporosis early is key.
"Those patients with low bone density in their 50s had a 25 percent risk of having a fracture 15 years later," Dr. Paula Rackoff with Beth Israel Medical Center in New York said.
We now have medicines that not only slow bone loss, but actually reverse it. Rackoff said that includes women with a family history.
"If your mother had a hip fracture, you're twice as likely to have a hip fracture," Rackoff said.
Beside family history other risk factors include:
- Slight, thin build -- especially women under 130 pounds
- Prior history of fractures, including broken ankles or wrists
"In the last scan, Dr. Rackoff was very pleased that it hadn't gotten any worse," Love said.
And by all indications, it should stay that way.
The bone density test is recommended for all women over 65, but experts say women in their 50s or younger who are at high risk of osteoporosis should also get the scan.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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