The DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan is the gold-standard imaging tool for measuring two things at once: bone mineral density and detailed body composition. Using two low-dose X-ray beams of differing energies, it differentiates fat mass, lean muscle mass, and bone tissue across the entire body — giving us a precise, reproducible map of how your physiology is changing over time.
At Integria, the DEXA scan is one of the most widely used assessments across our care programs. It plays a foundational role in both metabolic and skeletal health, and is one of the few imaging tests that combines diagnostic value with long-term tracking utility.
What the scan measures
A standard DEXA scan produces three categories of data, each clinically meaningful on its own and far more powerful when tracked year over year.
- Bone mineral density (BMD). Measured at the lumbar spine, hip, and (when indicated) forearm. Reported as T-scores and Z-scores, BMD is the principal screening tool for osteopenia and osteoporosis — and a critical early marker during the menopausal transition.
- Lean mass and skeletal muscle index. Quantifies muscle mass across the body and by region (arms, legs, trunk). This is essential for identifying sarcopenia, tracking the response to strength training, and benchmarking healthspan.
- Fat mass distribution. Separates visceral adipose tissue (around the organs) from subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is a stronger predictor of metabolic and cardiovascular risk than total body weight or BMI.
Why it matters
In menopause and longevity medicine, body composition shifts long before they show on a bathroom scale. Estrogen decline accelerates bone loss; aging shifts the muscle-to-fat ratio; metabolic disease quietly accumulates as visceral adiposity. A DEXA scan brings each of these changes into focus while they are still reversible.
“BMI tells you almost nothing about what is happening inside the body. DEXA tells you almost everything.”
For our menopause care patients, baseline and follow-up DEXA scans inform decisions about hormone therapy, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, weight-bearing exercise, and fracture-risk monitoring. For our longevity patients, they anchor the broader picture of metabolic health, training response, and body-composition goals.
What to expect
The DEXA scan is non-invasive and painless. You’ll lie still on a padded table while a scanning arm passes over your body. There is no enclosed tunnel, no contrast injection, and no recovery period. Radiation exposure is extremely low — roughly equivalent to a day of natural background radiation, and a fraction of a standard chest X-ray.
You may eat normally before the scan but should avoid calcium supplements for 24 hours beforehand. Comfortable clothing without metal closures is recommended; we provide a gown if needed.
How we use your results
Results are reviewed by your Integria physician and integrated into your full clinical picture — alongside blood work, hormonal labs, and other imaging. We benchmark against age- and sex-matched reference ranges, then track every subsequent scan against your own prior data. The longitudinal trend is often more valuable than any single number.
Where results indicate concern, we proceed in a coordinated, evidence-based way: bone health counselling, referral for further imaging or specialist consultation, targeted supplementation, structured exercise programming, or hormone therapy discussion.
