Basics
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Summary
Strong bones are important for your health. A bone mineral density (BMD) test is the best way to measure your bone health. It compares your bone density, or mass, to that of a healthy person who is the same age and sex as you are. It can show:
- Whether you have osteoporosis, a disease that makes your bones weak
- Your risk for breaking bones
- Whether your osteoporosis treatment is working
Low bone mass that is not low enough to be osteoporosis is sometimes called osteopenia. Causes of low bone mass include family history, not developing good bone mass when you are young, and certain conditions or medicines. Not everyone who has low bone mass gets osteoporosis, but they are at higher risk for getting it.
If you have low bone mass, there are things you can do to help slow down bone loss. These include eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D and doing weight-bearing exercise such as walking, tennis, or dancing. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medicines to prevent osteoporosis.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
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Bone Density Scan
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Bone-Density Tests: When You Need a Test and When You Don't (ABIM Foundation)
Related Issues
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Exercise for Your Bone Health
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
- Osteoporosis (Endocrine Society)
Specifics
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HIV and Osteoporosis
(National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research) Also in Spanish
Genetics
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Camurati-Engelmann disease: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Statistics and Research
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Genetics of Bone Density
(National Institutes of Health)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Density
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Association of bone mineral density with trichlorophenol: a population-based study.
- Article: Associations between vitamin E status and bone mineral density in children...
- Article: Increased fat mass negatively influences femoral neck bone mineral density in...
- Bone Density -- see more articles
Find an Expert
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also in Spanish
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National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Children
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Kids and Their Bones: A Guide for Parents
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
Women
- Breast Cancer and Bone Loss (Endocrine Society)
- Menopause and Bone Loss (Endocrine Society)
Patient Handouts
- Bone mineral density test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Osteopenia - premature infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- What causes bone loss? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish