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A bone-density scan after long-term anorexia

After a long period of being underweight with anorexia, a bone-density scan should be considered.

91% of the time this step is missed

The silent should: After a long period of being underweight with anorexia, a bone-density scan should be considered.

In our analysis of de-identified U.S. psychiatric records, this step was missing 91% of the time it should have happened.

This page is information to help you ask questions — it is not medical advice, and you should never start, stop, or change a medication on your own. Bring these questions to your clinician.

Questions for your doctor the next time you see them

Copy a line and ask it — these are questions, never instructions to change treatment.

  • I've been underweight for a while - should I have a bone-density scan?
  • Could my bones have been affected, and how would we check?

This page is informational and not medical advice. It describes care patterns across a population, not your situation. Bring these questions to a clinician who knows you.

Build a checklist for your own care →