Why We Love It

Description:

Your Restore SM BioBalance NTx test results indicates where your rate of bone breakdown falls relative to normal ranges. Your test result provides valuable information about your bones that can help you make important decisions about protective therapies.

Product FAQ's:

What is NTx? NTx is a molecule that is released during bone breakdown. The NTx molecule is excreted into the urine and is measured using a specialized laboratory procedure. This test result indicates your rate of bone breakdown and risk of osteoporosis.

Why use the Restore sm BioBalance NTx test?

Clinical studies have shown that the Restore SM BioBalance NTx analysis which tests your NTx levels, is the most specific and sensitive test available to measure your rate of bone breakdown – a key element of bone health.

Can an NTx test tell me if I have osteoporosis? No. Osteoporosis can only be diagnosed with a bone mineral density test or DEXA scan that assesses actual bone mass. Elevated levels of NTx indicate that bone is 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 in a high rate (results greater than 67) of bone breakdown, you may want to consider scheduling a bone mineral density test / DEXA scan.

What does the NTx test result mean for me? Your Restore SM BioBalance NTx test result indicates where your rate of bone breakdown falls relative to normal ranges. Your test result provides valuable information about your bones that can help you make important decisions about protective therapies.

How does BMD differ from the Restore SM BioBalance NTx test? Do I need to have both? Again, 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 provides a static measurement of 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. BMD requires several measurements spaced 12-24 months apart to identify significant bone loss. The NTx test can identify increased bone breakdown in 60-90 days, which offers you a much more immediate check on the success of lifestyle changes or other interventions to improve bone health.

Can RestoreSM BioBalance NTx tell me if medication is helping to slow my bone resorption?

Yes. Your NTx level should go down as soon as three months of starting antiresorptive therapy. Drugs that slow down bone resorption can help prevent and/or treat osteoporosis by lowering the level of bone resorption. RestoreSM BioBalance NTx can be used to show your response to drug therapy and/or lifestyle changes.

Is Restore SM BioBalance NTx useful to me even if I'm not on antiresorptive medication?

Yes. You can use the test to indicate your ongoing level of bone resorption, as well as to see if lifestyle changes you make are having a positive impact on your level of bone resorption.

What else can I do when my results show an elevated or high rate of bone loss?

You may want to consider having your hormone levels tested. The RestoreSM BioBalance Hormone Profile test is as convenient as the bone-loss test. The hormone profile test uses a saliva specimen to measure your free hormone levels. Hormone testing will let you know if you are a candidate for hormone replacement therapy.

Are there scientific references regarding measurement of bone loss with NTx? Data available upon request from Customer Service, Ostex International, Inc. 2203 Airport Way S., Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98134. Other Information: There are risk factors that contribute to bone loss and there are steps you can take to slow the rate at which bone loss occurs.

The following question/answer section provides a comprehensive overview of what you need to know about bone health.

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, estrogen levels in women and testosterone levels in 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)? A 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. "Information has been provided by and used with the permission of Women's Health America, Inc."