Originally published January 3 2006
New osteoporosis test promises to monitor the disease more closely than earlier methods
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The FDA has recently approved Roche's new Diagnostics Elecsys N-MID Osteocalcin test, a blood test that will increase the frequency of osteoporosis checkups for patients at risk for the disease.
Roche's new Diagnostics' Elecsys N-MID Osteocalcin test, which has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), determines the abundance of osteocalcin (a protein found in the bone and in blood serum), which is an indicator of bone formation.
For women with osteoporosis like 49-year-old Cherrie Burch, who was diagnosed six years ago with low bone mass and who takes a weekly bisphosphonate, such a blood test is much welcome.
"Right now, I can only get a bone scan once every two years because of the insurance reimbursement, and because it takes that long for the scan to see changes in bone formation through that type of test.
I'm diligent about taking my bisphosphonate, but it would be nice to see results more frequently," she said.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation welcomes any new FDA-cleared diagnostic options that will help patients address this all too prevalent disease," said Judith Cranford, Executive Director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Regular monitoring has shown to improve patients' compliance with their therapy.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 1.5 million people suffer from an osteoporotic-related fracture each year and that one out of every two women over age 50 will have an osteoporotic-related fracture in her lifetime.
To take the Roche Diagnostics Elecsys N-MID Osteocalcin test, patients need to have their blood drawn in the physician's office or on-site at a laboratory.
As part of its market-leading bone marker portfolio, Roche Diagnostics also offers the Elecsys Beta-CrossLaps test, a bone resorption marker that monitors the effectiveness of medications that slow or stop the natural process that dissolves bone tissue given to postmenopausal osteoporotic women.
Using the Elecsys Beta-CrossLaps test, physicians can check the efficacy of treatment as early as three months after its introduction.
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