Bone density may help predict breast cancer risk Jul 29, 2008
The women got a checkup including a hip bone mineral density scan using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Higher hip bone mineral density may be a reflection of greater lifetime exposure to estrogen and many (but not all) breast cancers are estrogen-sensitive, explained Zhao Chen, Ph. (Xinhuanet, China)
Simple ultrasound exam may predict osteoporosis risk Jun 24, 2008
Along with certain risk factors, including age or recent fall, radiation-free ultrasound of the heel may be used to better select women who need further bone density testing, such as a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) exam. "Osteoporosis is a major public health issue expected to increase in association with worldwide aging of the population," said the study's lead author Idris Guessous, M.D., senior research fellow in the Department of Internal Medicine at Lausanne University Hospital in... (EurekAlert!)
U of I study shows how to lose weight without losing bone Jun 6, 2008
Bone mineral content and density were measured with DXA scans of the whole body, lumbar spine, and hip at the beginning of the study, at four months, at eight months, and at the end of the 12-month period. "In the higher-protein group, bone density remained fairly stable, but bone health declined over time in the group that followed the conventional higher-carbohydrate diet. A statistically significant treatment effect favored the higher-protein diet group," said Matthew Thorpe, a medical... (EurekAlert!)
Global Study Reveals Differences in Standard of Care for Osteoporosis Across the World May 26, 2008
BMJ. 1993 (6914):307;1248-50 (iii) Kanis JA and Johnell O. Requirements for DXA for the management of osteoporosis in Europe. Osteoporosis Int. (PR Newswire)
Summary for Patients May 17, 2008
Testing for osteoporosis involves measuring how dense bones are with a test called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) ... The authors found that the best-quality studies that predicted fracture risk in men for testing bone thickness were done with DXA. Less is known about ultrasonography and other screening tests ... The ACP recommends bone thickness measurement with DXA for men who have risk factors for osteoporosis and are willing and able to take drugs (bisphosphonates) to treat it. (Annals of Internal Medicine)
New Guidelines for Osteoporosis in Men May 9, 2008
Clinicians should obtain DXA tests for men who are at increased risk for osteoporosis and candidates for medication treatment. The DXA test (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) measures bone density. (CBS News)
Nutritional advice for athletic women May 6, 2008
You should see a physician and get a baseline bone mineral density test (preferably with DXA). Here some recommended references for cyclists. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Medicare cuts may limit osteoporosis bone density scans Mar 17, 2008
Cuts in Medicare reimbursement for DXA scans short for dual energy x-ray absorptiometry began last year. The original $140 Medicare reimbursement for a DXA scan of the hip, pelvis and spine in Broward and Palm Beach counties dropped to $88 this year ... Based on current projections, its estimated Medicare will pay only about $50 for an axial DXA scan by 2010. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
IOF hails WHO report and FRAXtm Web site as milestones in osteoporosis prevention and treatment Feb 22, 2008
The new WHO report and its related FRAXtm tool which predicts the risk of osteoporosis fracture using clinical risk factors will be of considerable use to health care professionals and policy makers throughout the world, particularly in places where there are few DXA machines. We know that early diagnosis and treatment can save precious healthcare resources so we see the launch of these two assets as a very important milestone in the fight against osteoporosis, said IOF President Professor... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Bone mineral content continues to increase in obese adolescents during weight loss Feb 2, 2008
Using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner (DXA), researchers looked at specific body areas including legs, arms and lumbar spine as well as the bone mineral content of the whole body. The data was compared with a reference group of 66 adolescents. (EurekAlert!)
Computer Model Developed For Osteoporosis Diagnostics Jan 30, 2008
Nowadays, information about bone density are obtained with the help of the DXA measurement method, where two low-intensity x-ray beams are sent through bones in the hip and in the lumbar spine ... This method provides more meaningful results than pure density measurements (DXA). (Science Daily)
Call for fresh approach to falls Jan 18, 2008
One in three people over the age of 65 is harmed in a fall each year in England, with a third of those who suffer fracture having a DXA scan, which measures bone density. Doctors identify illness and treat them with drugs. (BBC News -- UK)
Gastric Cancer Survivors Should Be Aware Of Osteoporosis Jan 18, 2008
The authors recommend all patients who have anemia, back pain, or are over 60 years be screened for osteoporosis by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), regardless of tumor stage and type of reconstruction. Journal reference: JS Lim, SB Kim, HY Bang, GJ Cheon, JI Lee, High prevalence of osteoporosis in gastric adenocarcinoma patients after gastrectomy. (Science Daily)
Norfolk could hold key to osteoporosis Jan 3, 2008
Dr Lee Shepstone, chief investigator at the UEA's School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, said: Osteoporosis is usually diagnosed using a DXA bone density scan, whose images allow the thickness of bone to be assessed. At the moment, the people who are offered a scan are mainly those who have already suffered a fracture or are suspected by their GP to be at high risk. (Norwich Evening News)
Depression Raises Osteoporosis Risk For Premenopausal Women Dec 10, 2007
An X-ray technique called DXA scanning was used to measure bone mass. The researchers, from the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) explained that women with depression have immune systems which are overactive. (Medical News Today)
Simple Test Predicts Osteoporosis Risk in Men Dec 8, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A simple test, called the Male Osteoporosis Risk Estimation Score (MORES), identifies men at risk for osteoporosis who might benefit from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to determine their bone mineral density, according to a report in the Annals of Family Medicine ... "From Europe to China, many experts are wrestling with how to best decide which men are at risk for osteoporosis and should be tested with DXA." ... Shepherd and associates used data from the... (MEDLINEplus)
Criteria Predict Women's 5-Year Risk for Fracture Nov 29, 2007
The 11 predictors chosen were validated on 68,132 women and tested in 10,750 women who had undergone dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans (DXA) to assess bone mass density. The 11 factors that help predict hip fractures within five years are: age, self-reported health, weight, height, race/ethnicity, self-reported physical activity, history of fracture after age 54, parental history of hip fracture, current smoking, current corticosteroid use and treated diabetes. (MEDLINEplus)
Predicting The Risk Of Hip Fracture In Postmenopausal Women Nov 28, 2007
The model also was tested in a subset of 10,750 women who had undergone dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans (DXA; an imaging technique) for bone mass density assessment, which is used to predict risk of hip fracture. During an average follow-up of 7. (Science Daily)
Depression Linked To Bone-thinning In Premenopausal Women Nov 28, 2007
Bone mass was measured via an X-ray technique called DXA scanning. There was no significant link between the degree of bone loss and the severity of depression or the cumulative number of depressive episodes, the researchers found. (Science Daily)
Geisinger rheumatologists redesign osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis care Nov 17, 2007
Like most providers, Geisinger Health System measures the mineral content in the bones of patients who are at high-risk for osteoporosis through DXA scans. Follow-up exams are usually needed to assess how the disease has progressed. (EurekAlert!)
Just Being Naturally Thin May Raise Risk Of Osteoporosis In Women Nov 14, 2007
Femoral neck and lumbar spine bone mineral density were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) while distal radius and distal tibia were evaluated by three-dimensional peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Fat and lean body mass were determined using the same DXA device. (Science Daily)
Osteoporosis must be included in GP contract Sep 21, 2007
Recent figures show that less than 5% of women who have had a fracture have had their bone density measured by DXA scan and fewer than one in ten were being treated with drugs that can halve future fracture risk. In all, 300,000 patients are admitted to hospital with fragility fractures, which add up to 2 billion in health and social care costs, says the report. (OnMedica)
Fracture care overhaul demanded Sep 19, 2007
They said just a third of patients over the age of 65 have DXA scans, a test which measures bone density. We know the drugs which are available can help reduce the risk of future fractures, so we should be using them. (BBC News -- UK)
Obese People Tend to Pick Overweight Mates Aug 18, 2007
Rowett and his team used a technique called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to get a more precise picture of levels of body fat in their study participants, which included 42 couples. They used statistical techniques to measure and account for the effects of age, the postal code area where people had grown up, and the amount of time they had been in a relationship. (MEDLINEplus)
Love at first sight of your body fat Aug 9, 2007
They measured the body composition of forty-two couples using a sophisticated technique called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) ... "In our study, we corrected the results for all these other factors and we measured body fat using DXA, which is a much more accurate and reliable method of assessment than BMI. We also showed that the assortative mating for body fatness was not linked to the length of time that a couple had lived together.". (PhysOrg.com)
Overweight couples boosting obesity epidemic: study Aug 8, 2007
But Dr Diane Jackson, of the Rowett Research Institute, said: "It has also been suspected that BMI may be linked to other things that people choose their partner by, such as social class or age. "In our study, we corrected the results for all these other factors and we measured body fat using DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), which is a much more accurate and reliable method of assessment than BMI.. "We also showed that the assortative mating for body fatness was not linked to the length... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Experts say drugs are best way to treat osteoporosis Jul 3, 2007
Joseph Lane, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan and chief of its Metabolic Bone Disease Service, says that the benefit of exercise in a middle-age adult lies not in bone density but in bone quality - its "micro-architecture" and strength - which won't show up on a DXA scan. Still, he says, exercise should be an "additive, not an alternative" to drugs if bone loss is advanced. (Newsday -- Health)
Breast-feeding may not ward off kids' obesity Jun 30, 2007
To better understand the breastfeeding-obesity link, Toschke and his team used a technique called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure fat mass in a group of 4,325, 9- to 10-year-olds. Most studies to date have used body mass index (BMI) to measure overweight, which is less precise, the researchers note in the June issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (MSNBC -- Health)
Criteria To Detect Bone Mass Deficiencies In Children With Chronic Diseases Developed Jun 9, 2007
Pediatricians now have a practical tool to help determine whether children with chronic diseases like Crohn's, juvenile arthritis and anorexia nervosa -- or those undergoing cancer treatment -- are at increased risk for bone mass deficiencies, fracture or osteoporosis as they get older, according to a new study whose lead author is a researcher at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "There is a huge demand for this information among clinicians because in almost any chronic condition... (Science Daily)
Lack of sun does not explain low vitamin D in elderly who are overweight Jun 8, 2007
The researchers measured participants percent body fat using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a precise method for determining body composition. Individuals were grouped into quartiles of percent body fat: less than 28 percent, 28 percent to 33 percent, 34 percent to 40 percent, and greater than 40 percent. (EurekAlert!)
Estrogen is important for bone health in men as well as women May 11, 2007
Testing hormone levels and bone density as measured by DXA (dual X-ray absorptiometry) scans in 61 men age 50 or older, the researchers saw that men with higher levels of active estrogen metabolites also tended to have higher bone density. Conversely, men with lower levels of these hormones tended to have lower bone density. (EurekAlert!)
HEALTHY BONES CLASS HELD AT BIGGS-GRIDLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Apr 26, 2007
one density is an important predictor of fractures and can be measured through scan called DXA. A physician can evaluate fracture risk using bone density scores, age, fracture history and other risk factors, she explained. Exercise can maximize peak bone mass achieved in youth, maintain bone mass or reduce age-related bone loss, and preserve muscle strength and postural stability to reduce falls and fractures. (Gridley Herald, CA)
Dental X-Rays May Help Detect Osteoporosis Jan 12, 2007
In the U.S., the Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all women age 65 or older be screened for osteoporosis -- the "gold standard" for screening is a relatively expensive test called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) ... All of the women underwent DXA, as well as panoramic dental X-rays, which show the whole jaw ... The DXA tests found osteoporosis in the hip or spine in 140 women. (MEDLINEplus)
Dentists Could Detect Osteoporosis, Automatically Jan 6, 2007
Professor Horner explained: "At the start of our study we tested 652 women for osteoporosis using the current 'gold standard', and highly expensive, DXA test. This identified 140 sufferers."Our automated X-ray test immediately flagged-up over half of these. The patients concerned may not otherwise have been tested for osteoporosis, and in a real-life situation would immediately be referred for conclusive DXA testing. (Science Daily)
Is there hope for osteoporosis? Aug 6, 2006
DXA: Dual X-ray absorptiometry. A type of bone-density testing that uses X-rays to measure the bone density. (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, VA)
Beta3-Adrenergic receptor gene, body mass index, bone mineral density and fracture risk in elderly men and women: the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study (DOES) Jul 5, 2006
Genotypes of the ADRB3 gene were determined in 265 men and 446 women aged 60+ in 1989 at entry into the study, whose BMD were measured by DXA (GE Lunar, WI USA) at baseline. During the follow-up period (between 1989 and 2004), fractures were ascertained by reviewing radiography reports and personal interviews. (BioMed Central)
Stay Thinner With Fruit And Fiber Jun 2, 2006
They also got weighed and received a special X-ray called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to flag their body fat. Davis worked on the study while at the University of Texas at Austin. (CBS News)
Business notebook May 5, 2006
Personal Tech Markets Your Money Technology Healthcare Columnists Latest news Message Boards. Oil drops: After falling as low as $69. (Boston Globe -- Business)
Bottle-Feeding May Not Raise Child Obesity Risk Mar 11, 2006
The team used a technique called dual-energy X-ray absorpiometry (DXA) to measure body fatness. Burdette noted that previous studies have focused on body mass index (BMI), a conventional measure of height related to weight, to determine fatness. (MEDLINEplus)
Formula Feeding, Early Introduction Of Infant Food May Not Contribute To Childhood Obesity Mar 10, 2006
In studying the association between infant feeding and fatness during early childhood, researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Cincinnati Children's Hospital were the first to use a technique called dual-energy X-ray absorpiometry (DXA) to measure adiposity, or body fatness ... "DXA measures the amount of fat tissue more directly than BMI," says Hillary Burdette, M.D., nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and lead investigator of the study, which... (Science Daily)
