Local Doctor Incorporates Bone Density Loss Into Women's Wellness Program

Business Wire, May 17, 2005

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. -- Dr. Susan Sklar, Medical Director of the Women's Wellness Center in Los Alamitos, is pleased to announce the recent addition of state-of-the-art bone density and body composition assessment as part of their women's wellness program.

"Our women's wellness program is designed especially for today's active women," said Dr. Sklar. "Traditionally one thinks of pap smears and mammography exams for women's health, but scanning for osteoporosis and body composition are important components of care for both young women and in the treatment of menopause.

"We chose the Lunar Prodigy from GE Healthcare as we have greater clinical confidence in its consistent results and better precision. We can easily assess the bone density of both hips in one automated procedure. The system also provides an overall patient well-being, with easy-to-read assessment of the patient's body composition without any additional exam time or unnecessary radiation.

"Scanning both hips is vitally important. Not only does it avoid any under-detection, but the morbidity of patients post-fracture is extremely high -- 50% of patients won't make it past 12 months. This underscores the value of bone density tests and osteoporosis screening."

According to the first-ever U.S. Surgeon General's report on the nation's bone health, by the year 2020 one out of two Americans over the age of 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis. Although there are nearly 44 million Americans that may be affected by osteoporosis, studies referenced by the Surgeon General conclude that only between 3-23% of these high-risk patients have been tested. GE Healthcare, the world's leader in bone densitometry technology, hopes to raise that percentage with its Lunar branded product line.

"GE Healthcare has delivered significant improvements in the detection of osteoporosis," said Jennie Hanson, President of Primary Care Diagnostics at GE Healthcare. "In a single five-minute bone density exam, clinicians can access critical information that will allow them to detect problems earlier, diagnose them more precisely and make better treatment decisions."

Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona has called on healthcare professionals to help Americans maintain healthy bones by evaluating risks for patients of all ages, and recommended bone density exams for women over the age of 65 and for men or women who suffer even a minor fracture after the age of 50.

A bone density test is the best way to tell if you have osteoporosis. A bone density test is pain-free and takes only minutes to perform, without having to remove your clothes. It can:

--Detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs

--Predict your chances of fracturing in the future

--Determine your rate of bone loss and/or monitor the effects of treatment

--Inform you of your percent body fat, if a body composition is requested at the same time

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Sklar's office at 562-626-8181.

Note to Reporters: May is Osteoporosis month. More information can be found on www.nof.org (National Osteoporosis Foundation).