DETROIT -- While full body scans have become increasingly popular around the nation, they are most valuable in their ability to detect the early stages of osteoporosis and heart disease. By itself, the bone density scan costs only $150 and is now offered by EBT Heart and Body Imaging in Southfield.
"The measurement of low bone density is the single most predictive factor for osteoporosis," says Dr. Marc Kahn, medical director of EBT Heart and Body Imaging. "It's fast, easy and extremely accurate."
The National Institutes of Health reports that some 10 million people suffer from osteoporosis in the U.S. and another 34 million are at increased risk of developing the disease due to low bone mass. But the impact of the disease could be significantly lessened, according to a recent study by The Alliance for Better Bone Health, which reported that routine bone density screenings combined with early treatment could save Medicare $15.5 million in the next three years.
Kahn says the bone density scan is FDA approved and covered under most insurance plans and Medicare. The bone density test is also included with the Full Body Scan offered at EBT Heart & Body Imaging. The high-speed, low radiation EBCT body scan includes the coronary artery scan (heart scan), the lung scan, an abdominal-pelvic scan and a quantitative CT bone density scan.
"If you're thinking about a full body scan, focus on the heart scan and the QCT bone test, where results frequently change one's lifetime preventive care," says Kahn. "Outside of that, its capability to occasionally detect cancer is a bonus."
The full body scan searches for such problems as:
1) Coronary artery disease and evidence of plaque in major vessels of the
heart
2) Chest and lung abnormalities, including lung cancer, pneumonia and
lung fibrosis
3) Some growths, nodules or cancers in the liver, pancreas, kidneys,
bladder, ovaries and uterus
4) Some types of kidney stones and gallbladder stones
5) Aortic aneurysms and plaque in major abdominal vessels
6) Changes associated with decreased bone density
A recent report issued by The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all women 65 years of age and older be screened routinely for osteoporosis. However, the USPSTF recommends that routine screening begin at 60 years of age for women with increased risk factors such as lower body weight (less than 155 pounds) and no current use of estrogen therapy. The USPSTF also found good evidence that bone density measurements accurately predict the risk for fractures in the short term, and that treating asymptomatic women with osteoporosis reduces their risk for fracture.
Kahn points out that anyone concerned about their future risk for osteoporosis may benefit from a bone density scan. For a Full Body EBCT scan, he says the ideal candidates are middle-aged consumers who want to take charge of their health, but understand that the test is simply an opportunity to find unexpected disease before dangerous symptoms develop. Kahn says people should also remember that a body scan is not a replacement for a regular physical examination from a physician.
