Patient Assessment
Osteomark NTx provides useful additional information along with
Bone Mineral Density (BMD) when assessing a patient for
osteoporosis. A patient’s current BMD is an important predictor of
fracture risk, but gives no indication of the anticipated bone
loss.
Patients in the middle tertile of BMD may still be at risk of
osteoporosis and fracture if they are losing bone rapidly.
Studies have demonstrated that NTx may be useful in predicting
rates of future bone loss, and provide independent information
about fracture risk that BMD measurements alone cannot provide.
The mean values of NTx are higher in patients with osteoporosis
than in age- and sex-matched normal subjects. Studies have reported
an inverse relationship between quartiles of urinary NTx and mean
BMD.
Women with the highest NTx levels derive the greatest benefit
from antiresorptive therapy.