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, life-style interventions may also help, and you might need to recheck in a yr.”
Radiation publicity is negligible, lower than a chest x-ray. However the psychological impression will be extra sophisticated. 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 alter 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 grow to be one other metric to obsess over fairly than a device for well being. “It may be overwhelming for those who don’t have a clinician to interpret the outcomes,” Gidwani says. “That’s why I evaluation all of my sufferers’ scans with them.”
Cheema agrees: “An excessive amount of element with out steering dangers overwhelming folks with info that isn’t clinically actionable.”
“I don’t assume DEXA offers an excessive amount of info in comparison with, say, a whole-body MRI, which may reveal incidental findings that may trigger anxiousness and result in pointless interventions,” says Gidwani. “Its knowledge factors are actionable: lower physique fats, scale back visceral fats, enhance muscle.”
Consultants emphasize that actionability is essential. “Crucial 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 fairly than well being.
Ought to You Get One?
In the event you’re 65 or older, or in danger for osteoporosis, your physician might already advocate a DEXA scan for bone well being. For ladies 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 grow to be 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 drugs might discover the info genuinely helpful. For typically wholesome adults who train, eat decently, and examine in with a physician, many clinicians are detached.
“For a wholesome particular person, I wouldn’t universally advocate it,” Cheema says. “Way of life modifications and fundamental 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 essentially the most exact, if costly, device accessible.
Closing Takeaways
My DEXA outcomes had been considerably humbling. Regardless of near-daily exercises and a good food plan, the scan flagged extra physique fats than I anticipated and the beginnings of osteopenia in my backbone. The intense aspect 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 energy 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 couple of hundred {dollars} for an additional scan anytime quickly, so I could 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 positive factors, it’s one other knob to show. However for the remainder of us, it’s a reminder that knowledge is barely as helpful as what you’re prepared or in a position to do with it. Ultimately, DEXA doesn’t promise longevity a lot because it guarantees numbers, and numbers alone don’t add years to your life.
Meet the Consultants
- Jennifer Wagner, MD, MS, chief well being and efficiency officer, Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.
- Josh Cheema, MD, medical director of Northwestern Medication Human Longevity Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.
- Pooja Gidwani, MD, MBA, board-certified doctor in inside drugs and weight problems drugs in Los Angeles, California.
