Your bones are made of calcium and other minerals important for bone strength. Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, causing them to break more easily. Osteoporosis typically progresses as you get older and catching it early allows for administration of calcium supplements and other treatments before the bones get too weak.
Bone Density Scan
A bone-density scan, also known as a DXA scan or bone densitometry is a test that measures the strength of your bones. Bone-density scans diagnose osteoporosis before it results in broken bones, MayoClinic.com reports. This test uses X-rays to measure the density of calcium and other minerals present in bones within the patient's body. The higher the mineral density, the stronger the bones are.
Results
When you have bone density measured, you will receive two different sets of results. One of them, known as your T-score, compares your bone density to that of healthy adults of approximately 30 years old, as this is when bone density is highest, EMedTV notes. Your Z-score is your bone density compared to healthy adults that are your age. The numbers are given in units of "standard deviations" so negative scores indicate some bone loss. If your T-score is -2.5 or lower, you have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis and Calcium Supplements
If your bone-density scan indicates low bone-mineral density, you may be able to strengthen your bones by consuming more calcium. Increasing your calcium consumption increases the amount of calcium in your bones, making them stronger and less fragile. There are a variety of calcium supplements available, and your choice of supplement should be based on availability, convenience and cost, the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends.
Considerations
You need vitamin D to absorb calcium properly, so if you take calcium supplements you may also need to take vitamin D supplements. Calcium is best absorbed when it is consumed in doses of 600 mg or less, the National Osteoporosis Foundation explains, so if you are consuming large amounts of supplemental calcium, break it up into several smaller doses. Do not consume more than 2,500 mg of calcium per day, including from food, as this can lead to dangerously high blood-calcium levels.
