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Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Prevention

osteoporosis-mainOsteoporosis is the most common bone disorder, affecting 1 out of every 5 women over the age of 50. Caused by a gradual thinning of the bone as a result of inadequate calcium or vitamin D, there are many medical illnesses, medications, or environmental factors that may accelerate this process. As a result, this may lead to fractures especially in the bones of the back, wrist and hip.

Like many other conditions encountered in the aging process, osteoporosis can lead to significant disease, or even death in the injured individual. Studies have indicated that hip fractures have a mortality rate of nearly three times that of breast cancer. In addition, only 40% of those suffering from a fracture regain their previous mobility and only half of those return to normal activities of daily living.

Northeast OB/GYN utilizes the gold standard for testing thickness of the long bones in the body with its onsite bone density machine. The bone density machine uses a small amount of radiation, less than 10% of a dental x-ray, to measure the potential risks of future fractures. The progress of the patient can be monitored after treatment has started to determine its effectiveness.

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