💊Daily Pill: DEXA Scan
BMI 2.0
The Daily Pill is a series of very short daily posts where I share the definition of a medical term I think we should all know. Read it every morning and build up your medical vocabulary.
🩻DEXA Scan:
A DEXA scan - which stands for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, is a medical imaging technique primarily used to evaluate bone mineral density and assess the risk of osteoporosis. Maybe more relevant to us is the fact that DEXA scans are becoming increasingly popular for body composition analysis to assess body fat percentage and lean muscle mass - which can be particularly useful for both clinical and research applications in fields like endocrinology and sports science.
🤔Why you need to know:
Routine Body Mass Index (BMI) is an imprecise measurement of body composition and should not be used alone to assess a patient’s body composition (See 💊Daily Pill on BMI). In contrast, a DEXA Scan is considered the gold standard for analyzing body composition (Fat % vs. lean mass) - with an error margin of only 1-2%. Hence, DEXA Scans are an invaluable resource for tracking how your body responds to your dietary plans, weightlifting, HIIT workouts, cardio routines, or any consistent health-related interventions. If you want to get a DEXA scan you are probably looking at $150-300 depending on where you live.
🧠Trivia:
While DEXA is primarily used in medical settings to measure bone density and body composition, archaeologists have also utilized this technology to study ancient human remains. By performing DEXA scans on skeletal remains, researchers can gain insights into the bone mineral density of ancient populations, offering clues about their lifestyle, health, and nutritional status.