Twenty-five million Americans have osteoporosis. Fifty thousand people die each year because of it. Yet, most of us know little about protecting ourselves from this disease.

Osteoporosis results in more than 1 million hip, spine, and wrist fractures annually. This disorder affects nearly one-half of all postmenopausal women, the largest group at high risk for osteoporosis.

Research in osteoporosis, the disorder in which progressive bone loss results in increased risk of fracture, is making important new advances. A key factor in this success has been the availability of new and improved equipment to measure bone density.

Using a bone densitometer, physicians can measure patient bone density and follow it over time. If the patient’s bone density is low, or decreases at an abnormally fast rate, the patient may be at risk for osteoporosis. Through changes in diet, exercise habits and/or medication, further deterioration of bone can be prevented. A new bone densitometer was recently installed at The Bone Wellness Center, a department of Orthopedic Medical Center in Reseda, California.

“The DPX bone densitometer (Lunar Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin) measures the density of the spine, hip and other bones which are the most frequent sites of fracture,” explained Dr. Jerome R. Friedland, Director of The Bone Wellness Center.

“Until now, evaluating bone density using conventional x-ray systems did not reveal a potential problem until a patient had lost 25-30 percent of her bone density. Now, in just a few minutes, this highly sensitive densitometer helps us identify risk at a much earlier stage. It can also evaluate response to treatment so that we know whether our therapy is effective or if we need to modify our approach.”

‘Fortunately,” Dr. Friedland said, “recent research findings clarify the nature of the disease, and demonstrate the effectiveness of new treatments. New diagnostic devices, such as the DPX densitometer, improve the early detection and treatment of osteoporosis.”

Dr. Friedland encourages individuals to call and make an appointment to have bone density study. “There is no special preparation involved for the patient, the scan only takes a few minutes, and is a very comfortable procedure for the patient,” he said.

Further information regarding osteoporosis, risk factors, and bone density measurement may be obtained by contacting Suzann at 818-708-8100 x 724.