Heart Check America's - QCT Bone Density

Procedure: QCT Bone Density Scan

Purpose: To detect osteoporosis (a silent disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue) before a fracture occurs, and to monitor changes in bone density in response to treatment

For whom appropriate:

Postmenopausal women
Premenopausal women, perimenopausal women, and men with any of the following risk factors:
Thin or small frame
Family history of osteoporosis
Diet low in calcium
Cigarette smoking
Excessive use of alcohol
Inactive lifestyle
Use of corticosteroids or thyroid medication
Low testosterone levels in men

QCT isolates metabolically active trabecular bone for greater anatomic accuracy than other methods.
A series of axial scans are taken with the patient lying on a calibration phantom.

Significance:

Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures in the United States. The majority of such fractures are of the hip, spine and wrist.
One in two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.
Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse.
In the U.S. today, 18 million individuals have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.
Once bone loss is detected, numerous therapies (diet, dietary supplements, weight-bearing exercise, and medication) can be prescribed to slow or halt the progression of the process, and possibly even increase bone density