Osteopenia
| Osteopenia | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˌɒstioʊˈpiːniə/ |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Rheumatology |
| ICD-10 | M85.8 |
| ICD-9-CM | 733.90 |
| DiseasesDB | 29870 |
| MeSH | D001851 |
Osteopenia is a condition in which bone mineral density is lower than normal. It is considered by many doctors to be a precursor to osteoporosis. However, not every person diagnosed with osteopenia will develop osteoporosis. More specifically, osteopenia is defined as a bone mineral density T-score between −1.0 and −2.5.
Like osteoporosis, osteopenia occurs more frequently in post-menopausal women as a result of the loss of estrogen. It can also be exacerbated by lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise, excess consumption of alcohol, smoking or prolonged use of glucocorticoid medications. It can also be a result of exposure to radiation.
Osteopenia occurs more frequently in participants in non-weight-bearing sports like bicycling or swimming than in participants in weight-bearing sports like powerlifting and running, since bone-loading exercise tends to protect or possibly increase bone mineral density.
In particular, the condition is often noted in young female athletes. It is one of the three major components of female athlete triad syndrome, along with amenorrhea and disordered eating. Female athletes tend to have lower body weight, lower fat percentage, and higher incidence of asthma than their less active peers. A chronic negative energy balance can suppress estrogen levels and decrease bone mineral density.
It is also a sign of normal aging, in contrast to osteoporosis which is present in pathologic aging. Osteopenia is also a common effect of coeliac disease, even among patients who are otherwise asymptomatic.
Scans of bones anywhere in the body can be done with X-rays, known as DEXA (dual X-ray absorptiometry). Scans can also be done with portable scanners using ultrasound, and portable X-ray machines can measure density in the heel. A study paid for by Merck found that the extent to which osteopenia was diagnosed varied from 28 to 45 percent, depending on the type of machine. Merck was active in promoting deployment of cheaper scanners to be used on extremities, so that they could be used more widely. However, the clinical utility of these scans compared to scans of core portions of the body is disputed.
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