Osteoporosis affects over 75 million men and women worldwide and places 1 out of every 2 women at the risk of developing bone fractures. Unfortunately the degenerative disease is often not detected until it is well advanced and a bone fracture (most commonly the hip) is usually one of the first symptoms. Early detection of osteoporosis can help to facilitate successful treatment and reduce the risk of further advancement of the disease.
The Osteoporosis Risk Assessment (NTx) is a urine test which measures the risk of osteoporosis by detecting the rate of bone resorption (breakdown) well before significant changes are obvious on bone mineral density scans. Research indicates that elevated bone resorption is the primary cause of age-related bone loss and low bone mass is the major cause of osteoporosis.
Once osteoporosis has been diagnosed, quantitative measures of the excretion of cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTx), type 1 bone collagen, provide an indicator of human bone resorption.
The NTx marker can also be used to monitor the efficacy of anti-resorptive therapies such as hormone replacement (HRT) and/or calcium supplementation in postmenopausal women, individuals with osteoporosis and those with Paget's disease.
Test Kit
After the practitioner has provided a request form, the patient can order their Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Ntx test kit online at befunctional.com.au/store.
Specimen Requirements
Urine Samples - Home Testing Kit
The test kits provided contain everything required to complete the test.
Patient Preparation
- It is recommended the patient does not engage in excessive exercise the day before the test
- Follow normal diet the day before the test
- Fasting from 10:00pm the night before collection
Turnaround Time
The standard turnaround time for this test is 10 – 14 business days.
Price
$95.00
Additional $20.00 postage & handling fee applies to this test.
Payment
Prepayment is required when ordering test kit.
Code
NTX
Companion Tests:
- Baseline Hormone Profile
- Adrenal Hormone Profile
The results of the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment may be further supported by additional BeFunctional testing. For example, the Baseline Hormone Profile may provide important information on hormonal imbalance and alert the practitioner to this additional risk in the development of osteoporosis.
Prolonged stress may also constitute a risk in the development and progression of osteoporosis. The Adrenal Hormone Profile, which measures Cortisol and DHEA-S over a 24-hour period may therefore be a useful adjunct to the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment.
