Osteopenia

NHS diagnosed me with osteoporosis and fractured vertebrae several years ago and have since been taking the usual prescribed medications. However following a recent visit to the NHS Pain Management Clinic I received copy of letter to GP saying I have Osteopenia. What's the difference?

[ITYFIALMCTT]

For anyone else whose wondering this but doesn't have your personal history and experience of fractures and osteoporosis:

"Osteopenia is when your bones are weaker than normal but not so far gone that they break easily, which is the hallmark of osteoporosis.

...Osteopenia, if it happens at all, usually occurs after age 50. The exact age depends how strong your bones are when you're young. If they're hardy, you may never get osteopenia. If your bones aren't naturally dense, you may get it earlier.

Osteopenia -- or seeing it turn into osteoporosis for that matter -- is not inevitable. Diet, exercise, and sometimes medication can help keep your bones dense and strong for decades."

As you know, when you've had a scan, there will be some numbers that are T scores and these are used as indicators to categorise a particular bone/joint as osteopenic or osteoporotic. E.g., you might have osteoporosis in a femoral head/hip but osteopenia in some of the spine, with osteoporosis of the forearm. So, it's a bit unhelpful to say osteopenia unless they tell you where they scanned, IYSWIM. If people have had scans over a wide area, they can have some bits that are low but in range, and others that are -3.5 or more (definitely osteoporotic) - so if you added them all together, you'd come out with an average that looked (say) osteopenic altho' you might have definite osteoporosis in some areas.

And, if you've been taking medication, scans have to be taken with this in mind, and it's different to calculate the density. If you've been taking osteoporosis medication, you'd expect an increase in bone density - and that is probably good news and something that might please your GP.

As to what the difference would be - no idea what it means for your treatment. If the drugs have worked, unless they want to give you a drug holiday from them (as can happen with some of the medications), I'd imagine they'd want to continue treating you to keep up the good work and stay active etc.

Any doubts, give the NOS Helpline a ring - particularly if you're apprehensive about any treatment changes.

[Kaarina]

Hi Joan,

Well that is good news, if you are now being diagnosed with osteopenia and no longer osteoporosis. That would imply something has worked to your advantage.

Does this explain the difference for you?

A T-score shows how much your bone density is higher or lower than the bone density of a healthy 30-year old adult. ...

A T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 means you have low bone density or osteopenia. Examples are T-scores of -1.1, -1.6 and -2.4.

A T-score of -2.5 or below is a diagnosis of osteoporosis.