Health Library / Preventive health
Bone density (DEXA) test in Lucknow: who needs one and what the T-score means
· 5 min read · Lucknow
Osteoporosis is silent. Bone thins over years with nothing to feel, and the first symptom is very often a fracture — a wrist after a minor fall, a vertebra that collapses, or a hip, which is the one that changes a life.
A bone mineral density scan is how that is found before the fracture rather than after it. It is quick, painless, and uses a very low dose of radiation.
What the scan does
A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density, usually at the lower spine and the hip, because those are the sites where a fracture matters most and where the measurement predicts risk best. You lie on a table fully clothed for around ten to fifteen minutes; nothing enters the body and nothing is uncomfortable.
It should not be confused with the heel ultrasound screening sometimes offered at camps. That is a screening tool at best; DEXA of the spine and hip is the actual diagnostic measurement.
Reading the T-score
The result is reported as a T-score, comparing your bone density against a healthy young adult reference. The commonly used bands are these, and your doctor reads them alongside your fracture history, age and other risks rather than in isolation.
- T-score of −1.0 and above — normal
- Between −1.0 and −2.5 — osteopenia, meaning reduced density but not osteoporosis
- −2.5 or lower — osteoporosis
- A Z-score is used instead in younger adults and children, comparing against others of the same age
Who should have one, and what follows
Postmenopausal women are the largest group, since bone loss accelerates sharply after menopause. It also applies to anyone who has had a fracture from a minor fall after fifty, anyone on long-term steroids, and people with conditions or medicines that affect bone — including some used long term for thyroid disease, epilepsy and certain cancers. Men are not exempt; osteoporosis in men is under-diagnosed precisely because it is thought of as a women's condition.
A low result is not the end of the conversation. Vitamin D and calcium are usually checked and corrected, weight-bearing exercise genuinely helps, smoking and heavy alcohol genuinely hurt, and where treatment is indicated it is effective. Reducing falls matters as much as improving density — better vision, safer footwear, and removing hazards at home prevent fractures that no medicine would have.
This article is general health information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Test results are read alongside your symptoms and history — please discuss yours with your doctor. See our disclaimer.
