DEXA
“It’s the method we use most with our patients. I’ve had more DEXA scans than I can count"
- Dr. Peter Attia, The Drive Podcast, AMA #17
When we opened Vitality, we knew we wanted to offer DEXA technology for our community. The future of longevity and health lies in the power of DEXA which provides each client, personalized bone mineral density (BMD), fat and muscle data, appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) and a visceral adipose tissue predictor (VAT). Taken together with cutting edge DEXA software, these values give a starting point, trends over time and let clients know if their health habits are meeting their goals. We are proud to offer the only publically available DEXA east of Seattle and one of the only DEXA machines available in the PNW for body composition analysis.
Historically, BMI has been used as a global health predictor, however this metric is problematic on a few fronts. BMI, or body mass index, uses a person’s total body weight and divides it by their height. This is supposed to provide a value for how much weight a person has on their frame and is supposed to be an indicator of obesity and provide data for overall healthfulness. We know obesity increases the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease and stroke. We also know not all weight is created equal. When determining metrics for health and longevity, DEXA is the superior tool on several fronts due to the specificity of data provided:
Android/Gynoid data and ratio: This is a metric of “apple” or “pear” shape and provides a ratio to help determine where a patient carries their body fat. Apple shape is higher risk of the afrorementioed diseases than pear shape
ALMI: Appendicular lean muscle index separates the data regarding muscle mass in your arms and legs and compares it to height. Research shows better optimal health in people with ALMI above 75% and conversely, there are strong predictors of sarcopenia or the wasting of muscle, bone and strength with aging, with low ALMI values
Body Fat %: Each part of the body, down to the cheeks, is measured to give body fat weight to the hundreth of a pound as well as a total body percentage. This is given in personalized data and compared to others in the same age matched category
FFM: Fat free mass is all the mass in the body that is not fat. This is determined by muscle, bone, connective tissue and organs. FFM can be used to calculate caloric need to keep the body out of LEA (low energy availability) and determine optimal health calorie need
VAT: Visceral adipose tissue is the hormonally active fat in the body. This fat is found in the abdomen, around the internal organs. We need this fat as part of optimal functioning, but too much creates the apple shape and has a high correlation to heart disease and diabetes. This fat is hormonally driven which is why we see an increase in VAT during menopause.
DEXA is the gold standard in body composition analysis. Our DEXA machine is an open device with an arm that reaches over the top of the table so even the most claustrophobic patients are comfortable and at ease. The scan takes approximately 6 minutes and we book 30 minute appointments for time to change, scan, and review the multi-page printout you leave with. See our post on DEXA interpretation if you need to jog your memory about some of your data.
DEXA is for everyone. Whether you are a collegiate athlete, masters athlete, weekend warrior or just curious, we have options. We offer single scan and multi-scan packges to suit your needs. We routinely scan body builders before and after competition cuts, clients starting a commitment to their health and using this technology to track progress, those curious about their bone density or body fat distribution and even clients scheduled for shoulder and knee surgery who want their “before” data to help with post surgery physical therapy to return to their known baseline. DEXA is beneficial every 3-6 months to track change and stay current on your metrics. You can pair DEXA with a VO2 max test to not only track your composition data, but dial in your personalized heart rate zones for training. Don’t waste your precious time with workouts and nutrition that are not helping you meet your goals. Let us help you optimize your health.