For most individuals, although, “if outcomes are sturdy, possibly you don’t want one other scan for 5 years,” says Wagner. “In the event that they’re decrease, way of life interventions may help, and it’s possible you’ll need to recheck in a 12 months.”
Radiation publicity is negligible, lower than a chest x-ray. However the psychological influence might be extra difficult. For some, the numbers encourage: “After I did a physique composition check at 36, I had far more physique fats than I anticipated,” Cheema says. “That pushed me to vary my exercises and consuming patterns in ways in which improved my well being—one thing BMI alone wouldn’t have prompted.”
For others, particularly these with histories of disordered consuming or physique picture points, it may be destabilizing and overwhelming. Numbers can turn into one other metric to obsess over slightly than a instrument for well being. “It may be overwhelming in case you don’t have a clinician to interpret the outcomes,” Gidwani says. “That’s why I assessment all of my sufferers’ scans with them.”
Cheema agrees: “An excessive amount of element with out steerage dangers overwhelming folks with data that isn’t clinically actionable.”
“I don’t suppose DEXA offers an excessive amount of data in comparison with, say, a whole-body MRI, which might reveal incidental findings that may trigger anxiousness and result in pointless interventions,” says Gidwani. “Its information factors are actionable: lower physique fats, cut back visceral fats, improve muscle.”
Specialists emphasize that actionability is vital. “A very powerful metrics are visceral adipose tissue and complete physique fats proportion, particularly when tracked over time,” Cheema says. “However DEXA additionally breaks issues down by arms, legs, trunk, and so on. That may veer into aesthetics slightly than well being.
Ought to You Get One?
Should you’re 65 or older, or in danger for osteoporosis, your physician might already advocate a DEXA scan for bone well being. For girls in perimenopause, when bone density can drop by as a lot as 20 p.c, an early baseline scan may flag dangers years earlier than they turn into pressing.
DEXA additionally detects sarcopenic weight problems, the place muscle loss happens alongside excessive physique fats. “Somebody might look regular weight on a scale, however a DEXA can reveal poor muscle-to-fat steadiness,” Gidwani says.
Past these teams, the use case narrows. Athletes, bodybuilders, and other people on GLP-1 medicines might discover the info genuinely helpful. For usually wholesome adults who train, eat decently, and test in with a health care provider, many clinicians are detached.
“For a wholesome particular person, I wouldn’t universally advocate it,” Cheema says. “Way of life modifications and primary care might matter greater than getting a DEXA.” There are alternate options—bioimpedance scales, Bod Pods, and AI-enabled wearables—however none are as correct as DEXA. For now, it stays probably the most exact, if costly, instrument obtainable.
Last Takeaways
My DEXA outcomes had been considerably humbling. Regardless of near-daily exercises and a good weight loss program, the scan flagged extra physique fats than I anticipated and the beginnings of osteopenia in my backbone. The intense facet was an “wonderful” visceral fats rating, one thing I’ll be bragging about indefinitely.
Catching early bone loss feels actionable; I can tweak my exercises to prioritize power and mobility. However the physique fats percentages have lived in my mind rent-free ever since, with out providing a lot in return. I don’t plan to shell out a number of hundred {dollars} for an additional scan anytime quickly, so I’ll by no means know if my changes are literally working.
That’s the paradox of DEXA. For these with medical dangers, it may be invaluable. For athletes chasing marginal features, it’s one other knob to show. However for the remainder of us, it’s a reminder that information is simply as helpful as what you’re keen or capable of do with it. In the long run, DEXA doesn’t promise longevity a lot because it guarantees numbers, and numbers alone don’t add years to your life.
Meet the Specialists
- Jennifer Wagner, MD, MS, chief well being and efficiency officer, Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.
- Josh Cheema, MD, medical director of Northwestern Drugs Human Longevity Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.
- Pooja Gidwani, MD, MBA, board-certified doctor in inside medication and weight problems medication in Los Angeles, California.