I just recently had my annual check up and was told that I can get a baseline bone density test at the age of 65. I am 54 years old and wonder if this is the new standard for a baseline bone test
I just recently had my annual check up and was told that I can get a baseline bone density test at the age of 65. I am 54 years old and wonder if this is the new standard for a baseline bone test
0 Answers
evelyn resh wrote on :
All women lose 15% of there bone density with menopause. That said, as an integrative health care provider for women I like patients to have a bone density before they’re menopausal so that if they have osteopenia I can treat it to prevent osteoporosis which is more likely to occur once they lose that 15% bone density.
Merry Richon wrote on :
Yes, 65 is the current recommendation, but like someone in another post, I had my first bone density done in my early 50’s and already had noticeable signs of osteoporosis. Once my results were made known to family members, my sisters immediately went for scans which turned up similar issues. I encouraged my daughter to have a baseline bone density test when she turned 30 and once again genetics were in play. The good news for all of us is that when caught early, diet and significant weight-bearing exercise can make a big difference. My last bone density (I am now 66) was better than the first at 50. If you feel there is any possibility of a genetic pointers to osteoporosis, I would encourage you to have the test done sooner than later.
nidradeb wrote on :
Hmmm…. I had my first baseline at around 53 (I’m 55 now) and thought it was very useful to have a baseline to see if there was any presence of Osteoporosis or Osteopenia (which there was). This news prompted me to do more weight bearing exercise and increase my intake of calcium and magnesium. So…I would ask again. It seems odd to me that anyone would want to wait until it may be too late.
MaryBenson wrote on :
From my research, I am finding that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Osteoporosis Foundation and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend starting them at age 65 with this caveat: if you have any risk factors for a fracture, you should get it earlier. If you have already had a fracture, you weigh less than 127 lb., there is a family history of osteoporosis or fractures, you have taken steroids recently, or you smoke or were a long term smoker, you have one of the major risk factors. Some say if you are going through menopause without estrogen replacement, you also might consider getting it early. I tend to want one earlier than later–is this something your insurance won’t reimburse? Is it possible to get an exception to that based on the presence of one or more risk factors?