Is Medication Necessary for Osteoporosis?
Q: I am a 42-year-old female. I am starting menopause early so my doctor ordered a Dexascan test to measure the thickness of my bones. She said the results of the test showed that my bones were older than my age and she wanted to do a urine test called Osteomark. How does the urine test diagnose osteoporosis? The doctor recommended that I begin taking medication to stop the loss of bone or estrogen to prevent bone loss. I do not want to start taking medication or estrogen at this point. I am relatively sedentary but very thin. I do not drink milk, I drink alcohol several times a week and I smoke sometimes. Do you think it is possible to make changes in my habits that would stop the bone loss? A: Let me state that osteoporosis is second to heart disease in the United States so early detection and treatment can not only save a life but insure the quality of life. The urine test or NTX Osteomark test measures breakdown products of collagen fibrils excreted in the urine. Collagen fibrils a
