What is osteopenia, and what should be done about it?
I am on a crusade to eliminate the term “osteopenia” NELSON B. WATTS, MD Professor of Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Director, University of Cincinnati Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center A: Consider the following patients: A 35-year-old woman who is premenopausal and has no risk factors for osteoporosis. After being sedentary for most of her life, she began training for a marathon and sustained stress fractures in her left foot. Her orthopedist recommended a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density study of the spine and hip. The diagnosis was osteopenia, lowest T score 1.1. A 52-year-old woman who just started menopause and has no other risk factors for osteoporosis. Her primary care physician recommended a DXA study to be on top of things. The diagnosis was osteopenia, lowest T score 1.3. A 57-year-old woman who went through natural menopause in her late 40s. She has no other risk factors for osteoporosis. She had an ultrasound test of the heel at
