The key is early identification of those already affected by osteoporosis and those at risk for developing it. This is accomplished with a simple test to measure bone density. The results are printed out right away and sent to the patient's doctor. The patient's age, weight, ethnicity and gender are figured into the calculations. The cost of bone densitometry is covered by most health insurance plans, but must be ordered by a physician.
Osteoporosis causes more than one million fractures every year.
Hip fractures lead to as many as 50,000 deaths annually. The incidence of osteoporosis is expected to double by the year 2020. Eighty percent of those with osteoporosis are female. After age 50, a woman's risk of osteoporosis doubles every five years. Women lose approximately 47 percent of spine bone density in a lifetime.