DEXA results

So had my DEXA scan on Christmas eve. Here are the results:

Z Score results:

AP Spine (L1 - L4)  3.7
Femoral Neck (Left)  2.3
Total Hip (Left)  2.8

It says:
1)  "The patient's overall BMD Assessment is within expected range for age" (47 Male).
2)  "The value of BMD to predict fracture risk in this age group is not clearly determined".
3)  "Specific guidelines for monitoring BMD in men under age 50".

Doc tells me  am fine.

I was expecting a T score number and have no real idea how to read a Z score.  Anyone have a clue?

The report should also have a T Score.  The Z score is a stand deviation comparing you to other in your age range range.  These are great numbers.

I would ask your doctor for a copy of the report.

I have the report.  What I typed is exactly what the rsults said.

When I asked about the T score I was told they don't do T scores for 47 year old males.

That is interesting.  Either way, those numbers are excellent.  Anything over -1.0 is normal, so you have nothing to worry about.

 WOOT! That's great news.

I just wanted a baseline.

I had a DEXA recently and all my doc told me was that it was normal; I never got any numbers, but pleased that I am doing well.

My Rheumatologist told me on my initial exam with her that the first year post op of gastric bypass you lose 15% of your bone density.  I had my dexa scan and I was totally normal except for a slight loss in my forearms.  I didn't get numbers ... now I'd kind of like to. 

I guess we are exceptions to the rule? 

Did you have a DEXA scan or a regular bone density?  In a DEXA scan they do the hip and spine?  I didnt' think they do the forearm any more, it isn't as accurate a picture.  Did they do the hip and spine also?  I hope so.

It was a DEXA scan. They did my left hip, lower spine and I think my left shoulder.

Z scores are just another type of statistical test that is actually remarkably similiar to t scores, so you actually read the results the same way.  Basically, consider a score of zero to be the average that your group scores (your group being your gender, age, & race - all the major factors that affect bone density "systematically").  Since it's a standardized score, a score of 1.96 references a cutoff that means if you took 100 people & lined them all up by bone density, you would be the 95th person out of 100 people for the densest bones.  Since your z scores are actually above 1.96, that means that you're even higher.  I don't know the exact stats off hand, but I looked it up on a probability chart when I got my results back for a dexa scan I had done a few years ago.  My spine score was 3.2 standard deviations above the mean, which basically meant that I had denser bones than 99.98% versus the people in my group. 

Your results are FANTASTIC.  Since they're SO high, it's arguable that even if it dropped a little bit, don't worry about it much, but the general rule of thumb is not only how did you generally score compared to your group, but how did you score compared to your own previous test . . . but, like I said, yours are so high that I honestly don't even think a slight drop would make a difference because there's not that much room to have scored higher previously to begin with!