Where to get a DEX scan (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) or DXA scan?

[ding]

Would like to know where to get a DXA scan that's cheap. It's normally used to check bone density. But I want it to check intra-abdominal body fat - body fat %.

Intra-abdominal body fat is a prime indicator for nasty stuff - like type 2 diabetes. If you have too little estrogen (heads up TRT guys on aromatse inhibitors), this can be an issue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cywtq

HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a good fix for intra-abdominal body fat, it seems.

[robblok]

Let me know when you find it i and others have looked for it here and failed.

[thaiexpat21]

As there is no clinical indication (as far as I am aware) to use DEXA scanning other than to determine bone density the desired scan is unlikely to be found in any hospital.

[robblok]

As there is no clinical indication (as far as I am aware) to use DEXA scanning other than to determine bone density the desired scan is unlikely to be found in any hospital.

You would be surprised in Australia a friend of mine has done this a few times. As far as I know it was in a hospital.

[thaiexpat21]

As there is no clinical indication (as far as I am aware) to use DEXA scanning other than to determine bone density the desired scan is unlikely to be found in any hospital.

You would be surprised in Australia a friend of mine has done this a few times. As far as I know it was in a hospital.

Perhaps you could obtain the details from your friend (including contact numbers and web site detail )

I am sure many would be interested.

As there is AFAIK no clinical indication for this scan your friend must have gone privately and an indication of cost would be helpful.

[Sheryl]

Agree, no indication.

Abdominal girth along with BMI will pretty much tell you if there is reason for concern. If you want to go beyond that, then a simple abdominal ultrasound (available as part of many check-up packages) will tell you if the liver has any fatty infiltrations.

[robblok]

As there is no clinical indication (as far as I am aware) to use DEXA scanning other than to determine bone density the desired scan is unlikely to be found in any hospital.

You would be surprised in Australia a friend of mine has done this a few times. As far as I know it was in a hospital.

Perhaps you could obtain the details from your friend (including contact numbers and web site detail )

I am sure many would be interested.

As there is AFAIK no clinical indication for this scan your friend must have gone privately and an indication of cost would be helpful.

I will ask him, actually he has posted it here complete with pictures and so on. I would pay for it but as I recall it was not that expensive believe around 100$ oz. But why are the contact details important ? I mean its in Australia and I won't be flying over just to get that done. I have read about this procedure and together with underwater measurement (sorry English is not my first language) are the gold standard in bodyfat.

Though I agree there is no real medical indication for anyone who is serious about his training program its great to know if you are loosing muscle / gaining or loosing fat. All other measures even a skin caliper are less accurate, (those digital measurements with electricity is nothing more as a scam) Anyway I have looked and did not find it in Thailand.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Very popular with competitive athletes in the US to manage body composition.

There is a saying.

If don't measure it then you can't manage it.

It's low cost and easy to get a test in the US.

Like under $150 if you search around.

[lopburi3]

It has been a few years and do not remember the equipment used (but that required disrobe and hospital gown and scanner passed over) and know it was a dedicated system for bone density measurement on 11th floor health center at Vejthani Hospital. My wife had tests for several years as was being treated for osteoporosis. As I recall it was not what I would consider expensive.

[robblok]

It has been a few years and do not remember the equipment used (but that required disrobe and hospital gown and scanner passed over) and know it was a dedicated system for bone density measurement on 11th floor health center at Vejthani Hospital. My wife had tests for several years as was being treated for osteoporosis. As I recall it was not what I would consider expensive.

What I have understood, its the same machine but it needs someone who knows what to do with it as for fat scan it needs to be operated differently. I myself would have been interested in something like this as I am fanatical about training and as others said if you dont measure you don't know what is happening and its one of the best measurements. So i would do that on a half year basis.

[ding]

It has been a few years and do not remember the equipment used (but that required disrobe and hospital gown and scanner passed over) and know it was a dedicated system for bone density measurement on 11th floor health center at Vejthani Hospital. My wife had tests for several years as was being treated for osteoporosis. As I recall it was not what I would consider expensive.

Thanks for the lead lopburi. This testing is a bit ahead of the curve in the USA, as it's preventative as much as it's diagnostic. And drug sales would drop.

Intra-abdominal fat is a killer - from studies I've read.

"Contribution of intra-abdominal fat accumulation to the impairment of glucose and lipid metabolism in human obesity -

...Thus, disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism are considered greater in visceral type than in subcutaneous type."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0026049587900631

Cobrasnake - I've found one fairly nearby for $220. Was thinking <$50 in Thailand on next trip.

Edited October 26, 2013 by ding

[ding]

Want to add this for future searchers;

"Intra-abdominal fat is associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413107001581

"BMI was calculated as weight/height². Waist and hip circumferences were measured; waist-to-hip ratios were calculated. Percentage body fat was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Vis fat area and the relative ratio of intra-abdominal Vis fat to SC fat area were determined using CT scans at the level of L4–L5 with an attenuation range of −30 to −190 Hounsfield units as described"

Edited October 26, 2013 by ding

[thaiexpat21]

Why is the Western worlds population aging ?

Many are now into their 80's and 90's without the benefit of "scanning" !

By how much do you hope your life expectancy will increase by undergoing one of these "scans" ?

[ding]

Why is the Western worlds population aging ?

Many are now into their 80's and 90's without the benefit of "scanning" !

By how much do you hope your life expectancy will increase by undergoing one of these "scans" ?

No worries man. Do your thing

[tropo]

It has been a few years and do not remember the equipment used (but that required disrobe and hospital gown and scanner passed over) and know it was a dedicated system for bone density measurement on 11th floor health center at Vejthani Hospital. My wife had tests for several years as was being treated for osteoporosis. As I recall it was not what I would consider expensive.

Thanks for the lead lopburi. This testing is a bit ahead of the curve in the USA, as it's preventative as much as it's diagnostic. And drug sales would drop.

Intra-abdominal fat is a killer - from studies I've read.

"Contribution of intra-abdominal fat accumulation to the impairment of glucose and lipid metabolism in human obesity -

...Thus, disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism are considered greater in visceral type than in subcutaneous type."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0026049587900631

Cobrasnake - I've found one fairly nearby for $220. Was thinking <$50 in Thailand on next trip.

It's a chicken and egg thing. The lowered insulin resistance is not the result of, but a cause of visceral fat. The visceral fat is a symptom of the metabolic disorder. The body can no longer efficiently process food.

[tropo]

As there is no clinical indication (as far as I am aware) to use DEXA scanning other than to determine bone density the desired scan is unlikely to be found in any hospital.

You would be surprised in Australia a friend of mine has done this a few times. As far as I know it was in a hospital.

Perhaps you could obtain the details from your friend (including contact numbers and web site detail )

I am sure many would be interested.

As there is AFAIK no clinical indication for this scan your friend must have gone privately and an indication of cost would be helpful.

I will ask him, actually he has posted it here complete with pictures and so on. I would pay for it but as I recall it was not that expensive believe around 100$ oz. But why are the contact details important ? I mean its in Australia and I won't be flying over just to get that done. I have read about this procedure and together with underwater measurement (sorry English is not my first language) are the gold standard in bodyfat.

Though I agree there is no real medical indication for anyone who is serious about his training program its great to know if you are loosing muscle / gaining or loosing fat. All other measures even a skin caliper are less accurate, (those digital measurements with electricity is nothing more as a scam) Anyway I have looked and did not find it in Thailand.

It cost me $66 in Oz. (about 2000 baht). It was not at a hospital. I think I did post a link on a previous thread, but here's where I got it done:

http://www.bodycompositionqld.com.au/bcinfo.html

I also had it done at the Dunedin Hospital in NZ a few years ago, so it can be done in hospitals.

[ding]

Thanks tropo. This sentence from your link is key for me;

"By understanding how your muscle, fat, and bone react to lifestyle changes, you’ll be able to improve weight loss, create a highly targeted exercise program, and reduce your chance of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity."

Edited October 27, 2013 by ding

[canman]

Does the perceived benefit of knowing your inter abdominal fat outway the risks of extra x-ray doses?

[tropo]

Does the perceived benefit of knowing your inter abdominal fat outway the risks of extra x-ray doses?

Yes, and it's more than a perceived benefit.

I have a thick abdominal area, so I needed to find out if it was due to fat or not. If it was fat, I have a problem, if it isn't, I don't. Pretty clear really. Subcutaneous fat is easy to see, visceral fat is not.

Having these scans done every so often will also tell you if you're starting to accumulate visceral fat.

[robblok]

Does the perceived benefit of knowing your inter abdominal fat outway the risks of extra x-ray doses?

Of course and I would kill to do such a test on a half yearly base as it would keep my training and healthy lifestyle in check. It would help me adjust it. It would be more then worth it for me. Its a personal choice we all make and if you do something with the information you get its beneficial.

[ding]

Actual Baht cost is good to know before I go! I can't find anything from here.

There's also the BodPod whch can be had for ~ $75 USD in the USA. But it's not as accurate.

http://www.bodpod.com/en/news/company-news/item/bod-pod-the-exclusive-tool-for-body-composition-testing-at-the-nfl-scouting-combine

Cheers

[tropo]

Actual Baht cost is good to know before I go! I can't find anything from here.

There's also the BodPod whch can be had for ~ $75 USD in the USA. But it's not as accurate.

http://www.bodpod.com/en/news/company-news/item/bod-pod-the-exclusive-tool-for-body-composition-testing-at-the-nfl-scouting-combine

Cheers

How can we give you a baht cost when the service (DEXA) is not available in Thailand as far as we know. Many have searched. If you're in the US, get it done there.

[tropo]

Does the perceived benefit of knowing your inter abdominal fat outway the risks of extra x-ray doses?

Of course and I would kill to do such a test on a half yearly base as it would keep my training and healthy lifestyle in check. It would help me adjust it. It would be more then worth it for me. Its a personal choice we all make and if you do something with the information you get its beneficial.

I'm going to do one again later this month. I've been pretty slack with my diet since my last scan in June and I want to see if it has done any harm. My bodyweight is about the same, so only a scan will tell me if there has been any change in fat levels or muscle. If it has increased I'll start getting strict with my diet again and increase my cardio.

[ding]

Actual Baht cost is good to know before I go! I can't find anything from here.

There's also the BodPod whch can be had for ~ $75 USD in the USA. But it's not as accurate.

http://www.bodpod.com/en/news/company-news/item/bod-pod-the-exclusive-tool-for-body-composition-testing-at-the-nfl-scouting-combine

Cheers

How can we give you a baht cost when the service (DEXA) is not available in Thailand as far as we know. Many have searched. If you're in the US, get it done there.

Cool, wasn't sure but was hoping it was available. As Thais become victims of big agra and fast food, it will become available. Thanks to all!

I'll go for the BodPod due to cost. The Fat caliper just doesn't seem accurate, and I've tried a few different methods.

I realize there's no clinic indication for this. I just like to be in as fit and healthy as possible. I wouldn't go to the gym everyday and count calories and calculate macros if I was aiming for a middle of the road fitness level.

Edited November 10, 2013 by ding

[tropo]

Actual Baht cost is good to know before I go! I can't find anything from here.

There's also the BodPod whch can be had for ~ $75 USD in the USA. But it's not as accurate.

http://www.bodpod.com/en/news/company-news/item/bod-pod-the-exclusive-tool-for-body-composition-testing-at-the-nfl-scouting-combine

Cheers

How can we give you a baht cost when the service (DEXA) is not available in Thailand as far as we know. Many have searched. If you're in the US, get it done there.

Cool, wasn't sure but was hoping it was available. As Thais become victims of big agra and fast food, it will become available. Thanks to all!

I'll go for the BodPod due to cost. The Fat caliper just doesn't seem accurate, and I've tried a few different methods.

I realize there's no clinic indication for this. I just like to be in as fit and healthy as possible. I wouldn't go to the gym everyday and count calories and calculate macros if I was aiming for a middle of the road fitness level.

I wouldn't hold my breath about it becoming a commonly available test here. Even in Australia and New Zealand it's really hard to find a place which uses the DEXA for bodyfat measurements - not at the prices these tests normally cost.