Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have shown that "bone turnover markers" (BTMs) present in urine can predict fracture risk in women. The findings were published in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.
To test the hypothesis that BTMs measured before and after menopause predict fracture risk, lead author Jane Cauley and her team studied 2,305 women between the ages of 42 and 52. All of them were premenopausal or early perimenopausal at the start of the study. The scientists used urinalysis to measure substances called serum osteocalcin and urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTX), the biproduct of bones breaking down. Women who experienced fractures had about a 10% higher baseline median NTX, but there was no difference in osteocalcin.
The team concluded that a higher urinary NTX excretion measured before menopause and across menopause is associated with a higher risk of fracture.
MedPage Todayquotes Cauley as saying, “Bone fractures—particularly in the hip, wrist, and back—have serious consequences, including disability and death. Knowing a woman’s risk of fracture can help doctors determine the best course of action to protect her bones as she enters menopause, a time when estrogen deficiency negatively affects skeletal health.”
