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Women's Health Testing

Bone Mineral Density Screening

Being female puts you at risk of developing osteoporosis.1

 

  • Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, about eight million or 80% are women
  • Approximately one in two women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis
  • A women’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer
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ACOG guidelines2 recommend bone density should be screened in postmenopausal women younger than 65 years if any of the following risk factors are noted:

  • Medical history of a fragility fracture
  • Body weight less than 127 lb.
  • Medical causes of bone loss (medications or diseases)
  • Parental medical history of hip fracture
  • Current smoker
  • Alcoholism
  • Rheumatoid arthritis

Vitamin D and Bone Health

For many years, clinicians have been aware of the link between vitamin D levels and bone health. In one study3 the authors correlated total hip bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measured total vitamin D levels in 13,432 subjects enrolled in the NHANES III study. Their statistical analysis took into account sex, age, estrogen use and race/ethnicity. The authors observed a significant positive association between serum vitamin D levels and measured bone mineral density.

Labcorp offers several vitamin D tests that may be useful in certain clinical applications.

Reference

  1. National Osteoporosis Foundation. What women need to know. Accessed August 8, 2019. Available at https://www.nof.org/preventing-fractures/general-facts/what-women-need-t...
  2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Well Women Recommendations. High-Risk Factors. Available at: https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Annual-Womens-Health-Ca...
  3. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Dietrich T, Orav EJ, Dawson-Hughes B. Positive association between 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and bone mineral density: a population-based study of younger and older adults. Am J Med. 2004 May 1; 116(9):634-639