How to Read Your DEXA Scan Results

Your DEXA report includes several measurements that can be confusing at first. Here's what the main ones mean in general terms. Your own results are specific to you, and your Everlab doctor will walk you through what they mean for your health at your Diagnostics Review, so treat this as background reading rather than a way to interpret your own report.

Bone density: T-score and Z-score

Your T-score compares your bone density to a healthy young adult of the same sex at peak bone mass. As a general guide: above -1 is considered normal, between -1 and -2.5 indicates osteopenia (lower than normal bone density), and below -2.5 indicates osteoporosis.

Your Z-score compares your bone density to other people your own age and sex, rather than to a young adult. It's typically used for people under 50, or to flag whether bone loss looks unusual for your age group.

A whole-body scan gives you bone density figures, but a formal osteoporosis diagnosis requires a dedicated hip and spine bone density scan interpreted by a doctor, not a general body composition reading.

What's a normal bone density range for my age?

Because your T-score is compared against a healthy young adult regardless of your own age, bone density naturally trends lower as people get older even without any underlying condition. Your Z-score, compared to others your own age, is often more useful for spotting whether your bone loss looks unusual for your age group, particularly under 50.

Visceral fat (VAT)

Visceral adipose tissue is the fat stored around your internal organs, as distinct from the fat stored just under your skin. It's reported as an estimated area, and higher levels are generally associated with increased cardiovascular and metabolic risk. As a general reference point, research studies commonly use an estimated VAT area of around 100 cm² as a threshold, below which cardiometabolic risk is considered low, and above which risk increases. This is a population-level reference range, not a personal cutoff.

Lean mass and ALMI

Lean mass covers everything in your body that isn't fat, including muscle, organs and bone. Appendicular Lean Mass Index (ALMI) looks specifically at the muscle in your arms and legs relative to your height, and is commonly used to track muscle health as people age. Clinical research on sarcopenia commonly uses ALMI reference points of roughly 7.0 kg/m² for men and 5.5 kg/m² for women, below which reduced muscle mass becomes a relevant consideration. These are population reference figures, not personal targets.

Android and gynoid fat

Android fat is stored around your midsection; gynoid fat is stored around your hips. The ratio between the two gives a general sense of where your body tends to store fat, which can be relevant to cardiovascular risk assessment.

What's a healthy body fat percentage range?

Healthy body fat ranges differ by sex and shift somewhat with age. Commonly used general fitness ranges (adapted from American Council on Exercise guidelines): roughly 21–24% for women and 14–17% for men is considered “fit,” with 25–31% for women and 18–24% for men considered average. These bands are general reference ranges, not diagnostic cutoffs, and your own DEXA report also shows how your result compares specifically to people your own age.

Why the reference ranges above are a reasonable comparison for your scan?

Everlab's DEXA scans are performed on a Hologic Horizon-series scanner, the same generation of equipment used to build much of the population reference data (including NHANES age-matched norms) that studies like the ones above draw on. That's part of why age and sex comparisons on your report are a meaningful comparison, not just a rough estimate against different machinery.

What happens next?

These figures are only part of the picture. Your Everlab doctor reviews your DEXA results alongside your full health profile at your Diagnostics Review appointment, and explains what they mean for you specifically, rather than in isolation. Every scan is also saved to your Everlab app, so you can track how your results change between scans rather than reviewing each one on its own.

Everlab's DEXA scan measures bone density and body composition together in one appointment.

See the Everlab DEXA scan page for pricing, preparation, and how to book.