Bone health is important as people age, and it should be a concern before a bone gets broken. The only way to tell how healthy bones are and your risk for a fracture is with a bone mineral density test, or BMD test. These tests can spot osteoporosis, or bone loss, and can help you get treatment before you suffer a broken bone. The results of a BMD test will reveal your T-score.
About the T-Score
There are multiple kinds of bone density tests, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. You may get a DXA (or DEXA) scan, a CT scan, an X-ray or an ultrasound, but the results are always calculated in the same way: a T-score. The T-score represents the standard deviation of your bone health--how close your bone density is to normal.
T-Score Results
You want a T-score of between -1 and +1 or higher, says the NOF. A healthy person without bone loss may have a T-score of .5 or .9. A T-score that is slightly lower than normal, between -1 and -2.5, indicates some bone loss and a condition known as osteopenia. Serious bone loss, or the condition called osteoporosis, is diagnosed with a T-score of less than -2.5. Your doctor will use both your T-score and your other risk factors for fractures and bone loss to determine whether or not you need treatment, and what kind, says the NOF.
Why You Need the Test
A doctor will order a BMD test if you have risk factors for bone loss, like early menopause, or if you have had a broken bone. Women who are age 65 or older or anyone with risk factors for osteoporosis who is age 60 or older should be screened regularly, says the Mayo Clinic. The goal of the test is to find out the current state of your bone health, determine your risk of fractures and figure out what to do about slowing your bone loss, says the NOF.
About Osteopenia
Osteopenia means you have lost some bone mass, but it has not yet progressed to the point of osteoporosis. That does not mean that osteopenia is nothing to worry about, however. The NOF notes that people with intermediate T-scores indicating osteopenia often need to take medication to slow bone loss if they have other risk factors for fracture.
About Osteoporosis
If you have osteoporosis, you have bone problems. People with osteoporosis diagnosed by a low T-score will need to talk to their doctors about the right medications and lifestyle changes to help prevent further bone loss and reduce the risk of a fracture.
Taking Action
If your T-score indicates bone loss, talk to your doctor about your next steps--before you break a bone. But it is never too late to start strengthening your bones, with or without a T-score. A healthy lifestyle with plenty of calcium and Vitamin D, maintaining a healthy body weight and getting plenty of weight-bearing exercise will all help maintain strong, healthy bones.
