A 67-year-old postmenopausal female presents for a general health screening. She has not had a physical in the past 5 years. She states she is in good health and takes no medications. She is concerned about having osteoporosis. She asks if she can have a test to see if she has it. Which of these is the correct response from the nurse to this patient?

Osteoporosis is a common condition that affects postmenopausal women who’ve lost the protective effect of estrogen on bone density. The best screening exam to check for decreased bone density is a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry or DEXA scan. It is recommended for all postmenopausal women over the age of 65; postmenopausal women who present with fractures; all women considering therapy for other conditions where bone mineral density will affect that decision; women who’ve been on hormone replacement therapy for prolonged periods of time; postmenopausal women who have one or more additional risk factors (alcoholism, smoking, low body weight, sedentary lifestyle, low calcium and vitamin D intake, corticosteroid use, recurrent falls); and patients who experience fractures after minimal trauma, with evidence of osteopenia on radiography, with rheumatoid arthritis, or with a disease known to increase the risk of osteoporosis.