Need some clarification on bone markers in bloodwork, please

Posted by beachesanddreams @beachesanddreams, Nov 10 6:20pm

Good evening! I’m wondering is anyone can, in layman’s terms, provide a little clarification on bloodwork I had between February and July of this year.

When I asked my doc’s NP about them, she got a little testy with me, because I saw improvement, and she said there wasn’t. I am not currently on an osteoporosis medication; I am having a cardiac work up to make sure it’s a good on that front before I begin.

I know osteoporosis is a diagnosis with depth, but these three markers are the ones that are irritating me for some reason. 😂

February:
CTX < 50
Osteocalcin 8
P1NP < 10

July: (this was on my bloodwork, and the NP wrote it down)
CTX 203
Osteocalcin 10
P1NP 26

I know the numbers aren’t great, and I also know there’s plenty more to the overall picture. I’m just wondering if someone can give an assist.

Thanks so much…Hope everyone is having a restful evening!

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beatrix16 | @beatrix16 | Nov 11 2:18pm

I have had a similar experience and just came across a very helpful article by Margaret Martin of MelioGuide but apparently I'm not allowed to post the link because I'm a new member. ?!

What caught my attention is her explanation that the CTX marker shows up when bone is being broken down, similar to finding debris on a construction site. The P1NP appears when new bone is being built, similar to finding sawdust amidst construction.

In my case I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis as a result of having hemochromatosis, and particularly the C282Y mutation. From what I've read this condition causes increased bone resorption (excessive turnover) which would explain why my P1NP is on the high side (76). My CTX is also a little high at 943. For the record, I have never broken a bone, have zero family history of it and I am fairly athletic so the osteoporosis diagnosis was a shock. I'm at -2.7 in my lumbar spine and my TBS score is 1.249 (partially degraded microarchitecture).

My NP does not seem to think a baseline test would be helpful and has repeatedly tried to explain why but I just don't follow her explanation, so I went out and got my own tests. I figure the more data the better. I will repeat the tests every 6 months. I am also awaiting approval for medication. We do the best we can.