osteoporosis

Hi rouen, welcome and thanks for your question.  Here's some information on T and Z scores for you.

Normal bone density: Any score better than -1.0

Osteopenia: Any score between -1.0 and -2.5

Osteoporosis: Any score equal to or less than -2.5 World Health Org Link on T and Z scores.

T-score: The number of standard deviations (SD)

above (a positive value) or below (a negative value) the

average value in young adults.

Z-score: The number of standard deviations from

the average value in a person of same age

and gender.

According to the WHO, the criterion for men has not been so clearly

stated. Expert opinion suggests that a T-score of -2.5 is an appropriate diagnostic cut-off for men, too, for a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

If you look at you dxa print out, it should tell you what your t and z-score is. To verify this, ask your Dr. if your z-score is significant for your age/sex, and what it is, if you can't find it on the print out. If you don't have the print out, ask for a copy. It's important for us as patients to know our scores, and that's why giving these records to patients is important.

Good luck and I hope this helps...