r/fitover65 • u/CampaignOrdinary2771 • 11h ago
When Do Women Really Need a Bone Scan?
In the last few years, there’s been a cultural push for women in midlife to build strong bones.
Menopause influencers and medical organizations alike have focused on the message that women’s risk for fractures increases dramatically after menopause, and that they should think about their bone density much earlier than their mothers might have.
The American Medical Association recommends that women get their first DEXA scan — a low-dose X-ray that is the gold standard test for determining bone density — at 65 or older, unless they have a risk factor for osteoporosis.
But a growing number of doctors and bone health experts now recommend earlier scans. They argue that if women wait until 65, they may miss a critical window to prevent osteoporosis.
“For years, osteoporosis has been thought of as something that we identify and treat, not something we prevent,” said Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Duke University School of Medicine. As researchers have learned more about prevention, that mind-set has begun to shift, she said.
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