A bone-density test gives out a small amount of radiation, but radiation exposure can add up. The effects can add up in your body over your life, so it is best to avoid it if you can.
Who should get a bone-density scan?
For women over 65 and men over 70, DEXA scans are only appropriate for those with moderate risk of fracture or when the results will change the patient’s care plan.
Younger women and men ages 50 to 69 should consider the test if they have risk factors for serious bone loss. Risk factors include:
- Breaking a bone in a minor accident.
- Having rheumatoid arthritis.
- Having a parent who broke a hip.
- Smoking.
- Drinking heavily.
- Having a low body weight.
- Using corticosteroid drugs for three months or more.
- Having disorders associated with osteoporosis.
You may need a follow-up bone-density test after several years, depending on the results of your first test.
If you do have bone loss, you may be offered drug treatments.
The most common drugs to treat bone loss are Fosamax (generic alendronate) and Actonel (generic risedronate). These drugs have benefits and risks to think about and discuss with your health care provider. Common side effects include upset stomach, difficulty swallowing, and heartburn. Rare side effects include bone, joint and muscle pain, cracks in the thighbones, bone loss in the jaw, and heart rhythm problems. Other drugs used to treat bone loss also have risks, including blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and serious infections. The treatments have limited benefits in some patients. Many people are given drugs because they have mild bone loss, but there is little evidence that these drugs help them. Even if the drugs do help, they may only help for a few years, so you may want to consider them only if you have serious bone loss. Mild bone loss is better treated with exercise, vitamin D and calcium.