Osteoporsis is a serious health concern for most women and occasionally for men. Known risk factors include female gender, postmenopausal status (especially if hormone replacement is not being used), small size (less than 126 pounds), cigarette smoking, family history of osteoporosis, ethnicity (risk increased in Caucasian and Asian women), excess alcohol intake, low levels of exercise, certain chronic illnesses or chronic medications, and a lifelong history of low calcium intake. Because osteoporosis has no symptoms until a fracture occurs, a high index of suspicion and screening testing are important to catch the disease early. We offer  hip and spine testing (Central DEXA) at a convenient Bone Density testing site located in the Matthews Medical Office Building adjacent to Presbyterian Hospital in Matthews.