BONE LOSS ANALYSIS WITH NTX
BONE LOSS ANALYSIS WITH NTX
Bone loss doesn’t have any outward symptoms until it’s severe. Our in-home test kit is an easy way to measure the NTx molecule, which indicates rate of bone loss. If you know you’re losing bone, you can take steps to prevent it! The NTx test will also give you an indicator of whether the steps you’re taking to build or maintain bone are working. This is an easy-to-use urine test that can be done at home and then sent to the lab in a prepaid package. Results are generally back within a week.
How do I get an NTx urine test?
You can purchase a RestoreSM BioBalance NTx Urine Rate of Bone Loss collection kit and analysis and a collection kit will be mailed to you. You simply collect the urine sample in the morning (first or second void) and mail it to the lab in the prepaid mailer. They will perform the analysis and send the results back to you.
What does the test result mean for me?
If you are going through menopause, the NTx test result will provide valuable information about your bones, helping you and your doctor make important decisions about therapies that can protect your bones. Results will help your healthcare provider determine if your rate of bone breakdown is elevated and your probability for loss of bone mass without antiresorptive therapy. Results can also be used to monitor whether therapy is working, with changes seen in as little as three months.
Measure Bone Loss with NTx Test
Your NTx test results will indicate your rate of bone breakdown relative to normal ranges. NTx is a substance excreted through the kidneys into the urine during bone breakdown. We always have some bone breakdown going on, and if your bones are healthy you’ll have an equal amount of bone building. Higher-than-normal bone breakdown can point to a risk for osteoporosis.
Can an NTx test tell me if I have osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis can only be diagnosed with a bone mineral density (BMD) test or DEXA scan that assesses actual bone mass. Elevated levels of NTx indicate that bone may be breaking down faster than it is being replaced and can indicate a risk of osteoporosis, but it cannot confirm a diagnosis. If your bone loss analysis results are higher than normal (results greater than 67), you may want to consider scheduling a bone mineral density test / DEXA scan.
How does a BMD test differ from the bone loss rate measured in an NTx test? Do I need to have both?
NTx tells you your rate of bone breakdown, a dynamic measurement that can determine the probability for a decrease in your bone mineral density (BMD) if nothing is done to alter the current level of bone breakdown. Your BMD looks at your current bone density by measuring how much bone you have. To get a complete picture of your bone status, you should consider both tests. Accurate BMD testing requires several measurements spaced 12 to 24 months apart to identify significant bone loss. The NTx test can identify increased bone breakdown in 60 to 90 days, which offers you a much more immediate check on the success of lifestyle changes or other interventions to improve bone health.
What else can I do when my results show an elevated or high rate of bone loss?
You may want to consider having your saliva hormone levels tested to find out if you have a hormone imbalance. You can also read What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Osteoporosis by John R. Lee, M.D. and Virginia Hopkins. Another great resource for osteoporosis prevention and treatment information is a detailed chapter in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause.
About Bones
What is healthy bone? Your bones are made up of living tissue, mainly collagen. Strong, healthy bone is continually maintained through bone remodeling. The bone remodeling process has two phases: breakdown (or resorption) and formation. Bone resorption refers to bone removal or breakdown. In this phase, bone-resorbing cells called osteoclasts excavate small pits on the bone surface, releasing bone collagen and minerals in the circulatory system. Once the osteoclasts have done their job, protein-secreting cells called osteoblasts deposit new tissue – this is the formation phase. When resorption and formation are in balance, there is no net change in bone mass. After a resting phase during which the bone is mineralized, the remodeling cycle begins again.
Approximately 20% of bone tissue is replaced annually by this process on a cyclical basis throughout the skeleton. The entire remodeling process occurs over approximately 4 to 8 months, with a range of 3 months to 2 years. With age hormone levels in women and men decrease. At the same time, bone breakdown may increase. However, most people rarely know if they have substantial bone loss until they fracture or break a bone.
Once I stop growing, do my bones continue to change?
Yes. Bones are made up of living tissue that keeps renewing itself. This process is called bone remodeling and it is ongoing. A key to healthy bones is to make sure you have a balance in your rate of bone breakdown and bone formation.
Measuring Bone Loss..
How do I know how much bone I have? An x-ray or ultrasound bone scan called DEXA bone densitometry can be used to determine how much bone you have (usually measured at common fracture sites, such as the hip, spine or wrist). This test, also called a bone mineral density (BMD) test, is often used to confirm a suspicion of osteoporosis or to predict a risk of fracture. Based on your health and family history, you and your doctor may decide that you should have this test. The DEXA bone densitometry test confirms the amount of bone you have at the time of the test, but it cannot measure how fast you may be losing bone mass.
How can I find out my level of bone resorption (breakdown)?
An NTx bone loss analysis is a fast and easy way to determine your rate of bone breakdown. The results of this analysis will help you decide if you need to take corrective action. The analysis provides you with information to quickly and easily determine if you have a normal, elevated, or high rate of bone breakdown. It will also give you an indication as to the probability for loss of bone mass if no therapy is undertaken and monitor whether therapy is working in as soon as three months.
If you have taken corrective action to slow your rate of bone breakdown either through lifestyle changes or hormone replacement therapy, the analysis will provide the information to let you know if those corrective actions are having the desired affect. By repeating the analysis three months after you initiate corrective action the results will indicate the impact of those actions.
REFERENCES
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