Osteoporosis – Not Just a Woman’s Concern

Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, but the diagnosis of osteoporosis in men is often overlooked or undiagnosed.

The Woodlands, TX -- While May was National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, Northwest Diagnostic Clinic continues to elevate the awareness of this fragile bone disease in men, while promoting healthy bone fitness and encouraging bone density testing for both women and men.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2 million American men have osteoporosis, and another 12 million are at risk for this disease. Yet, despite the large number of men affected, osteoporosis in men remains under-diagnosed and underreported.

Men typically have larger and stronger bones, which explains in part, why osteoporosis affects fewer men than women, and because most of the focus about this bone disease concentrates on the risk factors for women, men think it ‘can’t happen to them.’

"Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become fragile, and if left untreated can progress painlessly until a bone breaks," notes Denis L. Galindo, M.D. "These broken bones or fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist. Prolonged exposure to certain medications, smoking, excessive alcohol use, low calcium intake, low Vitamin D levels, inadequate physical exercise, age, heredity, and race are some of the risk factors in men associated with osteoporosis. If you notice a loss of height, change in posture, or sudden back pain, it is important to inform your doctor or if age 70 or greater, you should inquire about BMD testing."

Northwest Diagnostic Clinic can accommodate bone density tests at both The Woodlands and Cypress Station locations on their GE/Lunar Prodigy bone densitometers. This low-emission imaging system provides excellent reporting of the health of a patient's bones, helping our physicians to diagnose and treat osteoporosis and osteopenia, and to monitor the "bone health" of patients on certain long-term medications.

This service is generally covered by most insurance plans and Medicare provides for biannual screening exams for patients meeting certain clinical criteria. If you are already a Northwest Diagnostic Clinic patient, contact your physician's nurse to arrange a referral for this test. If not, you can request an appointment with one of our physicians.

Northwest Diagnostic Clinic was founded in 1975 and its team of board certified physicians has been caring for families for more than 30 years. In addition to thirteen physicians and three physician assistants (PAs), Northwest Diagnostic Clinic offers a full staff of nurses, medical assistants, laboratory, imaging and administrative personnel to assist with patient care.

With offices in The Woodlands and Houston, the clinic offers several areas of expertise including family practice, internal medicine and rheumatology, as well as, on-site ancillary services such as computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, bone density testing, infusion and laboratory services.

Clinical research provides another avenue where Northwest Diagnostic Clinic can continue to be a leader in community-based healthcare

For more information about Northwest Diagnostic Clinic and the services offered, please call 281.440.5300 or visit their Web site.