In our practice, when patients are on hormones — estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and growth hormone — we do DEXA scans every three years and consistently find improved bone density (even in patients in their 70s) when the hormones are started.
I have yet to see a patient who isn’t doing well with hormones when changes in diet have been made, exercise is part of their life, supplements they use are those we recommend, and their outlook on life is positive.
There are 54 million Americans who have osteoporosis or low-density bones. Two million broken bones and $19 million in related costs will be spent in healthcare every year in the U.S.
By 2025, there are projected to be 3 million fractures related to bone loss, which will cost the system $25.3 billion. Testing is not the way to solve this growing problem.
Bone density mass testing has very significant precision errors of 3 to 4 percent. Patients and physicians do not realize that. As such, relying on testing is not the way to go. The answer is in prevention.
Decreased bone density occurs with aging naturally. We need to increase awareness that changes in metabolism during the aging process cause thinning of the bones, which can be prevented with simple changes in daily exercise routines, dietary improvements, supplements, and hormone therapies that are not dangerous, but rather protective and safe.
It is the individual’s responsibility to take the information about DEXA scans with a grain of salt. Compare your results with the guidelines published by the World Health Organization, then put them into perspective and decide which route to go.
Posts by Erika Schwartz, M.D
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