Bone Metabolism and Osteoporosis

Increased bone turnover in the postmenopausal years is a major factor in the development of osteoporosis. Biochemical markers of bone turnover represent a non-invasive, repeatable and relatively inexpensive method of assessing bone turnover. Evidence to date suggests that the most useful role for these markers in the management of individual postmenopausal women will be to monitor early response to preventative therapy or treatment for established osteoporosis.