Why Everyone Needs a DEXA Scan and What it Measures

These days we can measure almost anything — labs, sleep, steps, and more. However, when we look at metrics that truly advance healthspan, we need three critical pieces of information — our bone density, lean tissue (muscle) mass and visceral fat content.(Visceral fat is the fat located around our internal organs that creates increased levels of inflammation and leads to metabolic disease.) 

Lucky for us, one simple test can give us all this information — a DEXA scan. DEXA stands for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. To put things into perspective, the radiation dose from a DEXA scan is similar to a dental x-ray and about 1/10th of the radiation of a chest x-ray. Let’s look at each component that a DEXA scan can measure individually.  

1. Bone Mineral Density 

The risk of osteoporosis accelerates as we age, especially for women during the menopause transition. Why does this matter? Dr. Vonda Wright recently presented the following statistics to the FDA — 70% of all hip fractures are in women, 30% of those result in death, and 50% never return to baseline function. Women can lose up to 20% of their bone density during the menopause transition. When we establish a baseline for bone density, we can target interventions to maintain and improve! Exercise (impact, strength training) improve BMD, as well as dietary and possible pharmaceutical interventions. It is never too early or late to take care of our bones. 

2. Sarcopenia 

This means loss of muscle. We also know that after the age of 30, we begin to lose muscle mass by 3-8% a year. After the age of 70 we can lose over 10% per year. In combination with weakening bones, when we lose muscle we see decreases in strength, mobility and an increased risk of falling. 

3. Visceral Fat 

DEXA is the most accurate way to measure visceral fat. This is fat that we do not see. While sub-cutaneous fat (the fat under our skin) for some is unsightly, it is not nearly as dangerous as visceral fat. Visceral fat is metabolically active, secreting pro-inflammatory molecules, leading to an increased risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. 

Book Your Annual DEXA Scan and Optimize Your Health at Canyon Ranch 

All three of these metrics can be targeted by lifestyle modifications focused on diet, exercise, and insuring we get adequate sleep. In addition, there are pharmaceutical interventions that can also help. DEXA scans are painless, the requirements are being able to lay flat on a table for approximately 10 minutes. Unlike an MRI, DEXA is not a claustrophobic experience. 

At Canyon Ranch our skilled physicians perform all our DEXA scans. They not only spend the time talking to you through the process, but they also immediately interpret the results with you. In combination with our Performance Science team, guests who undergo a DEXA scan not only get information about their current bone density and body composition, but they also receive a personalized plan to address any issues that may arise. If you add one new test to your health regimen, we recommend it be an annual DEXA scan.