How To Interpret Bone Mineral Density Test Results

Two scores provided by bone mineral density (BMD) studies are clinically important:

• T-Score: The T-score is a comparison of the patient’s bone density with healthy, young individuals of the same sex.
• Z-Score: The Z-score is a comparison with the bone density of people of the same age and sex as the patient.

WHO definitions based on BMD T-score:

Osteoporosis may be diagnosed in postmenopausal women and in men aged 50 years and older if the T-score of the lumbar spine, total hip, or femoral neck is -2.5 or less.

The following are graphic representations of bone densities (as per the T-scores), of more than 4,500 adults who got their BMD tested at Suburban Diagnostics over the past 6 years:

Important facts emerging from our study are:

• A higher proportion of males had low bone density in the 30-39 years and 40-49 years age groups compared to females in the same age groups – 41% and 50% respectively in males versus 31% and 40% in females.
• The vast majority of women experienced a significant drop in bone density in the postmenopausal age groups.

 Please note:

• Males are just as (if not more) susceptible as females for osteoporosis.
• Osteoporosis can be seen even in their 30s and 40s.
• BMD testing is essential for assessing osteopenia and osteoporosis, especially for postmenopausal women.

#unburdenhealthcare with us.