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Guidelines for who should be tested Here are the National Osteoporosis Foundation's guidelines for who should be tested for the condition: Women age 65 or older. Postmenopausal women under 65 who have at least one additional risk factor for osteoporosis besides menopause. Postmenopausal women with bone fractures. Women who are considering therapy for osteoporosis and for whom bone mineral density test results would influence this decision. Women who have been receiving hormone replacement therapy for a prolonged period. Risk is higher for older people, especially females, and people who have broken bones, small and thin frames, family history of osteoporosis, removed ovaries, early menopause, a low-calcium diet, lack of exercise, eating disorders, medications including steroids and anticonvulsants and alcohol and tobacco use. The National Osteoporosis Foundation can be reached at (202) 223-2226, or 1150 17th St., N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C., 20036-4603. The Web site is www.nof.org . New machine diagnoses osteoporosis By SUSAN JAY A new diagnostic machine will make it easier and more convenient for women to be tested for osteoporosis, says a local rheumatologist. The Lunar Achilles Express, approved this month by the federal government, "increases the availability of the test so that more people will be diagnosed early," said Dr. Walter Emori of Medford. Currently, only a handful of local clinics or practices have equipment to measure bone loss. Emori said the new machine, at $16,000, is inexpensive enough that many physicians will be able to buy one for their offices. Emori has an Achilles Express because he tested it for the manufacturer before federal approval. He is the only physician in the valley to have the machine so far. A recent study, the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment, found 51 percent of postmenopausal Caucasian women had low bone mass and were at risk for osteoporosis. The risk is higher for Asian women, 65 percent, Native American women, 59 percent, and Hispanic women, 55 percent. The study involved 158,000 post-menopausal women 50 and older. The condition, which is two to three times more common in women than in men, is characterized by a reduction in bone density accompanied by increasing porosity and brittleness. If undetected and untreated, it can lead to hip, spine and wrist fractures, leaving patients immobile. A hip or spine fracture or break often leads to nursing home admission, a fear of falling and high mortality rates, say experts. The good news is that most cases of osteoporosis can be avoided. The key to prevention is early screening, diagnosis and treatment, say local doctors. Other diagnostic devices use X-rays to determine size of bones. The new machine uses ultrasound instead and is safe and accurate, Emori says. Patients will pay $40 to $50 for the test, depending on the doctor's office. Emori hopes more obstetrics and gynecologist and family doctors will buy the machines, so they can screen their patients routinely. The OB-GYN Center in Medford is already conducting regular bone density screenings of patients with the the Express's predecessor, a machine that also uses ultrasound and is just as accurate. It costs two-thirds more, however, and isn't as portable. Women need to be tested, said Dr. Lanita Witt of Medford, "so they know what they need to do to maintain what they have." Patients also need to determine a starting point with screenings so they have a base to compare future tests, she said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA