Should i be tested for osteoporosis

There are steps you can take to improve your bone health and strengthen weak bones :. You can also take steps to prevent falls, including doing exercises to improve your leg strength and balance, having your eyes checked, and making your home safer.

Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Does Osteoporosis Run in Your Family? Minus Related Pages. The weakness gradually accumulates until you have a fracture.

In most cases, we can prevent the fracture with treatment if we know that the patient has osteoporosis or osteopenia , which is when your bone density is less than normal but not yet at the level of osteoporosis. Every woman at age 65 should have a bone density test. But if you have clinical risk factors for bone loss — so that would be low body weight, smoking, family history or a previous fracture — it really should be at menopause.

Women should get a bone scan at age Men age 70 and up may want to talk with their doctors about the risks and benefits before deciding. Younger women, and men ages 50 to 69, should consider the test if they have risk factors for serious bone loss. Risk factors include:. You may need a follow-up bone-density test after several years. That depends on the results of your first test.

This report is for you to use when talking with your health-care provider. It is not a substitute for medical advice and treatment. Many people are given drugs because they have mild bone loss, but there is little evidence that these drugs help them. Even if the drugs do help, they may only help for a few years, so you may want to consider them only if you have serious bone loss.

Mild bone loss is better treated with exercise, vitamin D and calcium. The best exercise for your bones is exercise that makes your bones carry weight. When you walk, your bones carry the weight of your whole body. You can also lift weights. Aim for at least 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise a day. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol.