Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

INTRODUCTION TO BONE HEALTH 499
Figure 9.2. Osteoporosis. This illustration shows the difference between the structure of normal
bone, which is less porous, and bone with osteoporosis, which is more porous. The two circles
located on the spine and hip represent the location of the images.
Bone loss usually occurs without symptoms, so osteoporosis is often called a silent
disease. It can go undetected until bones become so weak that they fracture due to a sudden
strain, bump, or fall.
One way bone health can be assessed is by measuring bone mineral density. A bone
mineral density (BMD) test can detect osteoporosis and predict the risk of bone fracture. The
most common tool used to measure BMD is called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
This method can measure bone density over the entire body, but most often the DXA scan
focuses on measuring BMD in the hip and the spine. These measurements are then used as
indicators of overall bone strength and health. DXA is painless, non-invasive, uses low doses
of radiation, and is the most accurate way to measure BMD.
An individual’s chances of developing osteoporosis depend on several risk factors, some