Osteoporosis in Men

The most common test used to measure bone mineral density and diagnose osteoporosis is a central dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA). DXA uses a small amount of x-ray to measure how much calcium and other minerals are in a specific area of your bone. For more information on the tests used to diagnose osteoporosis, see Bone Mineral Density Tests: What the Numbers Mean . The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual DXA testing in women by age 65. But the Task Force says that not enough evidence is available to recommend routine DXA testing in men.