East Tennessee State University researchers have received a grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents to study osteoporosis risk in men.
The research team will evaluate the usefulness of assessing the bone mineral density at various parts of the distal radius in the wrist, compared to the conventional sites, to identify male patients age 50 years or older at risk for osteoporosis.
The research pteam will be led by Dr. Ronald Hamdy from the James H. Quillen College of Medicine.
Current guidelines recommend scanning both the hips and lumbar vertebrae to make a diagnosis of osteoporosis and to use the distal radius only when the other sites cannot be scanned because of such factors as limited mobility of the patient, deformities, pain or mental impairment. The investigators will determine whether any parts of the radius bone in the forearm could be used to diagnose men at risk for osteoporosis.