May 15, 2000

By Mike Falcon
With medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.
A Doctor In Your House.com

Tippy Hedren with Dr. Robert Rude.

It wasn’t as scary as when flying claws tore at her face in The Birds. And it wasn't as glamorous as when she starred opposite Sean Connery in Marnie. But for Golden Globe-winning actress Tippi Hedren, a simple, quick, routine medical screening test was as necessary - and rewarding - as any big screen test she’s taken.

Teaming up with Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles to promote National Osteoporosis Screening Month, Hedren took her first-ever osteoporosis screening last week via a Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) bone density scan.

"Given the silent nature of osteoporosis, which usually progresses without visible symptoms until someone has a severe break of the hip or spine, I just felt it was time to really find out if I had the disease," says Hedren. While the silver screen has displayed ample evidence that the legendary beauty has "great bones," the DEXA scan provided absolute scientific verification. Hedren’s bones are as strong and dense as an average woman between 20 and 30.

Facts and figures

"The effects of osteoporosis can literally be crushing," notes the Golden Globe winner. Over 1.5 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur each year, usually in older women. A woman’s risk of developing an osteoporosis-related injury is equal to the combined risk of developing breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer, according the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

"Ten percent of nursing home occupants are there as a result of a hip or spine fracture," notes Dr. Robert K. Rude, director Orthopaedic Hospitals bone and mineral clinic and professor of medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine. "And 80% of osteoporosis health care centers on hip fractures."

For those with osteoporosis, however, accident outcomes are frequently very serious. "Between 12-20% of them die within the first year of a hip fracture, " notes Rude. "A pulmonary embolus, pneumonia, or other complications from immobilization often combine with the mending to make their recoveries a challenge," adds the internationally recognized osteoporosis authority.

Rude estimates that almost 60% of serious breaks and subsequent fatalities could be avoided if those at risk got bone density testing. "Testing, along with diet and liftestyle, can go a long way in minimizing the effects of this disease," says Hedren.

DEXA bone density testing, the field's gold standard, uses ultra-low x-ray levels to precisely determine bone mass. In recent years, this technology has been adapted for use in "desktop" units that are suitable for use in physicians' offices and clinics, enabling wider-scale screening for osteoporosis.

While the traditional, larger, hospital-based machines remain the mainstay of diagnosis, the office-based systems are becoming increasingly accurate, using forearm or heel density measurements to project hip and spine density figures. "They're still an invaluable screening tool," says Rude.