Ochsner bone scan helping detect osteoporosis early

Statistics show that osteoporosis, the disease that makes bones prone to tiny breaks in the spine, hips and wrists, causes 1.5 million fractures a year.

But how can it be prevented? Taking a calcium-based supplement is the best way to treat, and possibly reverse, osteoporosis, said John Flannery, director of radiology at Ochsner St. Anne General Hospital in Raceland.

“Osteoporosis can be a hereditary thing or it could be a result of not getting enough calcium or vitamins during the developmental stage,” Flannery said. “But you won’t know if you are at risk unless you are screened. Osteoporosis is just like breast cancer and any other disease. The earlier it’s detected the better the results are with treatment.”

Years ago, the only way to detect osteoporosis was if a person broke a bone.

“By then, osteoporosis was taking its form, and bones are weak,” Flannery said.

“With advancement in technology, doctors can now determine if a person has osteoporosis or is at risk of having osteoporosis with a five to 10 minute procedure called a densitometry or DEXA scan.”

Ochsner St. Anne unveiled its new model bone mineral density scanner nearly two weeks ago. It’s the first of its kinds in the area, Flannery said.

Ochsner is using the new General Electric Lunar Prodigy model. The scanner uses special X-rays to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a segment of bone.

Heather Diecedue, a bone density technician at Ochsner, said the higher the mineral content, the denser the bones are.

“Dense bones means stronger bones,” she said.

After unveiling the machine, Ochsner St. Anne got its first patients, who were all first-timers. Commonly, men and women 50 years or older are encouraged to have a bone density test screening. Men and women 65 years and older should have a bone density scan once every two years.

“The older you get, the higher your risk of osteoporosis because your bones become weaker as you age,” Flannery said.

Women 60 years and older are at an increased risk for osteoporosis than men, Flannery explained, because of menopause.

“Osteoporosis occurs in women more because women who have gone through menopause lack estrogen in their bodies,” Flannery said. “As a result they get osteoporosis. The estrogen helps to prevent bone mineral loss.”

Some risk indicators for osteoporosis include age, race, low body weight, a personal history of fractures and using certain medications that can cause bone loss.

Most commonly, family history is the cause. Caucasian women and those of southeast Asian descent are at the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis, according to statistics from the National Osteoporosis Foundation Web site.

African American and Hispanic men and women have a lower, but still significant, risk.

A doctor can recommend the best screening interval based on a patient’s medical history and osteoporosis risk, Flannery said.

Ochsner St. Anne conducts bone density tests Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m.

Patients have to be recommended by a physician. However, no appointment is necessary to conduct the bone scan, according to Flannery.