Due to ever increasing lifespan of our population, diseases of the old age become increasingly important. One of which is osteoporosis (softening/reduced hardness of the bones). This can result in fracture following minor trauma. Fractures in the elderly is associated with myriad of complications which may ensue, some potentially life-threatening. 

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DEXA scan is the gold standard to diagnose osteoporosis. Many retail outlets offer ultrasound screening by measuring acoustic impedance at the ankle region. However readings from such device may not be readily reproducible and are generally not adequate to assess response to therapy.

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Besides just measuring bone mineral density for osteoporosis, DEXA can also estimate the the body's composition, i.e. the components which contributes towards the body weight from the lean and fat mass.