Deborah Howell (Host): You know, as we age, there's a lot to keep track of and ask our primary care physician about. One of the important things to ask about is bone density. Let's learn more about how to stay on top of this and hear about the latest bone density scans with an expert in the field. I'm Deborah Howell. And our guest today is Jennifer Thompson, a mammography technologist at Deaconess, the Women's Hospital. Welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer Thompson: Hi. Thank you.

Host: Thanks for taking some time out of your day to be with us. If it's okay with you, let's jump right in with the first question. What is a bone density scan?

Jennifer Thompson: So, a bone density scan, also known as a DEXA scan, is a scan that we use to look for osteoporosis in patients. It's probably one of the easiest tests anyone ever had done. We will scan the lumbar spine and scan the hips. Occasionally, we'll scan a forearm if a patient's had surgery on the back or hips. But it's basically looking for osteoporosis.

Host: And who is a good candidate for a bone density scan? Do women need them more often than men?

Jennifer Thompson: Yes, women typically get screened more often due to the lack of estrogen as we age. The recommendation from the National Osteoporosis Foundation is to start the DEXA scans at the age of 65 in women and around the age of 70 in men. However, there are certain situations where we would start scanning at an earlier age due to patients having rheumatoid arthritis being on certain types of medications such as prednisone or breast cancer medication, things like that.

Host: Or maybe if they're a professional athlete or have had a job that's taken a toll?

Jennifer Thompson: Sure. Yes. There's a lot of things that we do that we don't even think about in our daily life that can affect our bone health as we age.

Host: And why is it so important to keep tabs on our bone health?

Jennifer Thompson: Well, if you think about it, the bones are the support of our body and they help protect our vital organs. So as we age and if we were to have a fracture, that's going to take a longer time to heal. Hip fractures can increase the mortality rate in our elderly patients. So if we can keep our bones healthy and strong, we can really improve the quality of our life.

Host: Jennifer, who provides the scan?

Jennifer Thompson: The radiology technologist will be the one performing the scan.

Host: Can you walk me through the procedure of the scan?

Jennifer Thompson: It's probably one of the easiest procedures you'll ever have done. The patient will walk in, we'll do a height and weight measurement. Then, the patient will lay on a table. It's got a thin padding on it, so it's not too uncomfortable. And then, we'll ask you just some general health questions about your overall daily life. And then, we'll scan the lower back and we'll scan both hips. The exam itself usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. It's pretty quick, pretty easy.

Host: Doesn't hurt a bit, right?

Jennifer Thompson: Not a bit.

Host: Okay. Do I need to do anything to prepare for my scan?

Jennifer Thompson: The only thing that we ask is that our patients to stop taking calcium for about 24 hours prior to the exam. We'd like for you to wear nice, comfortable clothing that day, no zippers, no buttons. It just makes it easier on you without having to change and that sort of thing.

Host: Sure. So then after my scan, is there anything I need to do?

Jennifer Thompson: No. You can resume daily activities like normal. There's no restrictions or anything like that involved in this procedure.

Host: It sounds like you really like your job, Jennifer.

Jennifer Thompson: I do, I do. We get to help women of all ages and men too in this field. So, it's very rewarding.

Host: Is there anything else you want to add to our conversation?

Jennifer Thompson: The only thing I would say that I hear most often is patients are confused as far as the values of the T-scores, and that is a little confusing. The T-scores that we're looking at, and that's usually what the physician will use to determine if a patient is at osteopenia or osteoporosis range. We're looking at the osteopenia range as a -1 to -2.5, and anything that's a -2.5 or greater is considered osteoporosis.

Host: Okay. Just for the record, osteopenia, does it often lead to osteoporosis?

Jennifer Thompson: It can. It's kind of that precursor for osteoporosis. But we do have patients, you know, a lot of times that will start medication that will keep them in that osteopenia range where their bones are not getting worse.

Host: Okay. Well, this is some really good information, Jennifer. Thanks so much for being with us today to talk about bone density scans and their importance.

Jennifer Thompson: Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

Host: and that wraps up this episode of the podcast series from Deaconess, the Women's Hospital, a place for all your life. Head on over to our website at deaconess.Com for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other Deaconess Women's Hospital podcasts. And for more health tips and updates, follow us on your social channels. I'm Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.