About 1 in 2 of women and 1 in 4 of men over the age of 50 years are reportedly at a risk of developing osteoporosis (American Bone Health, 2014). Further, the American Bone Health Organization reports that about 52 million people of the American population have or are at very advanced stages of developing the condition. These statistics have prompted rigorous studies into the osteoporosis condition. It is through such studies that tools such as the T-test and Z-test have been devised to enable the estimation of the chances of developing the condition. The current paper gives a detailed account about osteoporosis and the efficiency of the T-test in determining the chances of developing the condition.
Osteoporosis is medically defined as a condition in which there is a decrease of bone mass in the body. In layman terms, a person suffering from osteoporosis has porous and weak bones and they are likely to fracture/break upon application of stress, however minimal it might be. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is often complicated as it is not easy to perform a biopsy with bones. Therefore, the recommended and popular test for osteoporosis is the T-test to determine bone density. The T-test is also referred as to densitometry and it is done to ascertain the actual bone mass of an individual with an aim of detecting osteoporosis at its earliest instance. It is recommended that individuals cease from taking calcium supplements on the days preceding their T-tests for osteoporosis.
There are three main levels of indices in T-test results. In summary, these levels can be classified to be normal, high-risk and osteoporosis (Norman, 2012). T-test results can be classified as normal when they range from an average of -1.0 to +1.0. When classified as normal, it means that the individual being tested has healthy bones and stands the lowest risk of developing osteoporosis. T-tests results classified as high-risk range from an average of -1.0 to -2.5 and such results imply that the individual being tested has a very low bone density. Individuals whose results are classified under this level are said to be in osteopenia. T-test results that are above the -2.5 indices indicate that the person being tested has already developed osteoporosis.
There is no known cure for osteoporosis. However, upon detection, there are prescriptions that can help control its negative health effects. These prescriptions are mainly of two types; antiresorptive drugs and bone building nutrients (Smith, 2014). The antiresorptive drugs discourage any further damage to bones while the bone building nutrients encourage the development of strong bones. As Smith further explains, the best way to avoid osteoporosis later in life is to ensure that one develops strong bones early in their lives. Risk factors of this condition have been well documented in recent studies. Risk factors that expose people to osteoporosis majorly range from poor diet and failure to exercise effectively and regularly.
The effects of osteoporosis are costly and always hard to handle. Therefore, it is better if regular tests are taken so as to be able to detect osteoporosis at its earliest instance. Regular T-tests can provide a helpful guide on how to maintain healthy bones. Bone density tests can provide helpful projections about an individual’s future bone health (National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2014). Through such tests, medical practitioners who handle osteoporosis cases can effectively prescribe steps that can be taken to encourage healthy bones and discourage the effects of osteoporosis.
References
American Bone Health. (2014). About T-scores. Web.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. (2014). Having a bone density test. Web.
Norman, J. (2012). Making the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Web.
Smith, H. (2014). Treatment of osteoporosis. Web.