Deciphering the results of a DXA test does take some finesse,


experts say. Results are given in what’s known as a “T-score,” a measure of how bones fare compared with those of a healthy, younger woman. A T-score less than -2.5 is a clear indication of osteoporosis. But those between -1 and -2.5, a level classified as “osteopenia,” must be interpreted based on the woman’s age and other risk factors, Siris cautions. Inexperienced doctors may erroneously prescribe bone-building drugs to a patient whose risk level doesn’t warrant it.


Fighting Back


Moore’s results (-1.3 and -1.5 for her left and right hips, respectively, and -1.5 for her spine) turned out to be in this osteopenia range. This was a slight decrease from her test two years earlier, when each bone was -1.1. Still, her FRAX score indicates that she has only a 1.4 percent chance of breaking her hip (the most serious fracture) within the next decade. That’s why Zeng recommends that Moore not go on medication at this time, instead focusing on lifestyle factors known to affect bone health. These factors include not smoking, limiting alcohol,


exercising regularly, and taking appropriate calcium and vitamin D supplements. To be effective, exercise must involve gravity, so walking, running, and dancing are good for bones, but swimming is not, explains Silvina Levis, MD, director of the Osteoporosis Center at the University of Miami. Lifting weights is also beneficial, she says. “A bone density scan on the forearms of a tennis player would show greater density in her racquet- holding arm,” Levis observes, because contracting a muscle puts pressure on and strengthens the bone attached to it. The calcium recommendation for women age 51 and older


is 1,200 mg per day. If you drink two glasses of milk daily (at 300 mg/calcium each), for instance, you need only one 600 mg supplement pill. (Too much calcium can cause kidney stones.) Postmenopausal women taking estrogen therapy need only 1,000 mg of calcium per day. You’ll need 1,500 mg of calcium per day, however, if you’re postmenopausal and not taking hormone therapy or you are over age 65. Recommendations for vitamin D are 600 to 800 IU daily, the level included in many calcium- plus-D supplements, although Siris says it’s safe to take up to 2,000 IU. Seniors age 71 and older should get 800 IU daily.


SPRING / SUMMER 2012 pause 9


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