Osteoporosis is a bone density disease that can be devastating for many older Clarke County residents. Osteoporosis can cause bones to become brittle and break, which can lead to numerous medical complications later in life.
Millions of Americans, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, are at risk of suffering from the disease. Women are four times more likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis than men.
A Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) machine is considered by many to be the gold standard in diagnosing osteoporosis and determining a person's bone mineral density. Clarke County Hospital conducts such examinations with its DEXA, and its Diagnostic Imaging department conducts tests to help physicians make an osteoporosis diagnosis or determine if you are at risk.
Osteoporosis is not something to take lightly, which prompted the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force in 2002 to recommend all women 65 years old and over be screened. Consult with your physician to make an appointment to have a DEXA scan conducted by a Clarke County Hospital Diagnostic Imaging technologist, call 641-342-5353.