OSTEOPOROSIS
Improving the Clinical Use of Biochemical Bone Marker in Metabolic Bone Diseases
In 2000, ten percent of adults in the United States aged 50 years or older had osteoporosis. In 2002, direct care expenditures for osteoporotic fractures alone were estimated to $12 - $18 billion annually. The incidence of osteoporosis is expected to increase significantly in the next few years because people are living longer and the U.S. population is aging. Bone markers provide a powerful tool for investigating factors affecting bone development and monitoring efficacy of treatment; however, a lack of reference materials and inconsistencies in sample-collection procedures and sample handling makes it difficult to compare bone-marker data across laboratories. Little information is available about the use of these markers in clinical practice, and such problems hamper broad use of these markers by clinical and research communities.
In 1997, scientists at CDC began a program to improve the measurement of the bone resorption markers pyridinoline and deoxypyridoline by conducting these activities:
Increased awareness about these new tools in combination with guidelines and improved, reliable bone-marker measurements will help clinicians use this technology more readily and allow them to better manage patients with bone disease.
CDC will continue its work in translating research findings in the area of biochemical bone marker measurements into information suitable for clinical practice and will provide secondary reference materials to laboratories and manufacturers to harmonize clinical measurements.
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