Al Rahba Hospital, which is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, has added a new DEXA scanning unit, increasing its capacity and quality of screenings.

The DEXA scanning procedure is one of the most widely used methods to measure bone mineral density and detect the onset of osteoporosis by precisely documenting changes in bone marrow density (BMD) for both the spine and the rest of the body, a statement said.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which a person’s bone density is less than normal and thus not as strong as at an earlier age. Often developing over time, osteoporosis increases the risk of bone fractures with even minor trauma such as a fall from standing height or in extreme cases even from a cough or sneeze.

“Unfortunately, many people do not realize that they have osteoporosis until they either have a fracture or have a screening test ordered by their doctor to check for osteoporosis,” said Dr Nellie Boma, chief medical officer of Al Rahba Hospital.

“Other risk factors include older age, family history of osteoporosis, inactive lifestyle and use of certain medications including steroids. Early detection and therapy is the mainstay for trying to prevent these complications.”

Testing results correlate well with the risk of fracture, and the testing is easily performed in a time-efficient manner without any discomfort.  Although many methods of testing exist, the best currently is DEXA scanning, the statement said.

“Depending on the patient, doctors can recommend DEXA scanning at one or two-year intervals to monitor changes in bone density during treatment,” added Dr Boma.

“It is imperative that testing not only be done with a doctor who is well versed in interpreting the results, but using state-of-the-art equipment to provide the right data for analysis.”

The new osteoporosis clinic was first opened in late May 2010 and till date has reviewed over 220 cases from across the UAE.  A study released last year for World Osteoporosis Day surveying 50,000 individuals in the GCC revealed that one in three was at risk of developing the sometimes fatal condition.

According to sources at Al Rahba Hospital, women are also four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. – TradeArabia News Service