Bone Density

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Latest News
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Women
• Patient Handouts

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

Start Here

• Bone Mass Measurement: What the Numbers Mean (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Food and Your Bones (National Osteoporosis Foundation)
• Low Bone Density (National Osteoporosis Foundation)
• Osteopenia (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Latest News

• Teens Who Are Lazy Bones Have Weaker Skeletons (03/31/2017, HealthDay)
• Older Bones Benefit from Dairy Plus Vitamin D (03/01/2017, HealthDay)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bone Densitometry (Bone Density Scan) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Bone Density Test (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Bone Density Testing (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
• Bone Markers (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Bone-Density Tests: When You Need Them - and When You Don't (ABIM Foundation)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation to Prevent Fractures (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF

Related Issues

• Comparing Osteoporosis Drugs: The Bisphosphonates (Consumers Union of U.S.) - PDF
• Exercise and Bone Health for Women: The Skeletal Risk of Overtraining (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
• Exercise for Your Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Medicines and Bone Loss (Hormone Health Network) - PDF
• Vitamin A and Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Specifics

• How Does Physical Activity Help Build Healthy Bones? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Osteopetrosis Overview (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
• Side Effects of HIV Medicines: HIV and Osteoporosis (AIDSinfo)

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: juvenile primary osteoporosis (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome (National Library of Medicine)

Health Check Tools

• Healthy Bones (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

Statistics and Research

• Baseline Bone Mineral Density Measurements Key to Future Testing Intervals (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
• Exercise Brings Bone Benefits that Last (National Institutes of Health)
• Genetics of Bone Density (National Institutes of Health)
• How Often Should Women Have Bone Tests? (National Institutes of Health)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Density (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Measurement of Distal Ulnar Hounsfield Units Accurately Predicts Bone Mineral...
• Article: Updated association of tea consumption and bone mineral density: A...
• Article: The effect of weight bearing on bone mineral density and...
• Bone Density -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• What Is Bone? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
• National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases~National Resource Center (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Children

• Children's Bone Health and Calcium (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Women

• Breast Cancer and Bone Loss (Hormone Health Network)
• Menopause and Bone Loss (Hormone Health Network) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Osteoporosis: Peak Bone Mass in Women (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

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