The DiagnosTechs Bone Health Panel measures 6 different hormones through saliva, as well as a key bone biomarker in urine to asses the health of your bones thus minimizing loss of density and preventing fractures.
The Bone Health Panel uses convenient, noninvasive testing of your saliva to evaluate estrogen (estradiol), progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, and follicle stimulating hormone. In tandem, we measure Pyrilinks-D from urine, which is a sensitive indicator of bone loss and provides valuable information about your bone health. The biomarkers assessed by the Bone Health Panel provide valuable data for patients who may be at risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Additionally, the Bone Health Panel offers an objective way to monitor the efficacy of bone loss treatment strategies including correction of hormonal abnormalities, vitamin and mineral supplementation, dietary and lifestyle changes, and/or pharmacologic interventions. Our Bone Health Panel can detect decreases in bone density at an early stage allowing intervention before acute symptoms appear, and in contrast to traditional screening, our panel is noninvasive and does not involve x-ray radiation or blood draws.
Why use our Bone Health Panel?
- In saliva, the active (free) form of each hormone is measured
- Pyrilinks-D is a bone metabolism marker found in urine
- Saliva and urine samples can be conveniently collected in your home
- Collection is painless and noninvasive
How can our Bone Health Panel can be of use to you?
Your doctor can use the Pyrilinks-D urine test within this panel to:
- Screen for osteoporosis in conjunction with bone densitometry.
- As a follow-up test to monitor the bone response in hormone replacement therapy and/or osteoporosis treatment protocols.
Why is it important to test your bone health?
- Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men over 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture
- People who suffer from a hip fracture have a 20% or greater risk of dying during the following year
- One in three adults who lived independently before a hip fracture remain in a nursing home for at least a year after injury
- A 50-year-old woman has a 2.8% risk of death related to hip fracture during her remaining lifetime, equivalent to her risk of death from breast cancer and four times higher than that from endometrial cancer*
*All facts and statistics are based on research studies cited by the International Osteoporosis Foundation www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-statistics
What Is Bone Aging?
Bone turnover is a process that takes place throughout our lifetimes. It is a delicate balance between bone formation and breakdown. In childhood and early adulthood, the process is strongly in favor of bone formation, and this continues up to the age of 20 to 30 years. From then on, there is a gradual thinning and loss of bone with age. Around the onset of menopause, bone turnover tilts in favor of bone breakdown. This is due to the persistent imbalance or decline in estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones.
Does it affect your Health?
Yes, it does. Bone aging leads to a disease called osteoporosis that results in bone thinning and, more importantly, bone fragility. Osteoporosis can affect you and your loved ones in several ways:
- Middle-aged and elderly people lose a few inches of their height due to osteoporosis.
- Many seniors are prone to hip fractures secondary to osteoporosis.
- 1.5 million bone fractures, at various body sites, occur annually secondary to osteoporosis.