By the end of the year, US consumers should be able to buy a hand-held device that shows whether any anti-osteoporosis medications they are taking are having the desired effect. The device will enable osteoporosis patients, or those who feel they are at risk of developing the disease, to determine their level of bone loss in as little as 5-minutes. The credit card sized device, called NTx Point-of-Care, works by detecting the presence of NTx, a by-product of bone, in urine. There is a strong correlation between bone loss and the amount of NTx secreted in urine, thus by determining urine NTx levels it is possible to determine if a person is losing too much bone. Procter & Gamble Co. are currently using the disposable test, which is available with a prescription for approximately $38, in a European safety study of its anti-osteoporosis drug Actonel.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 20th August 2001
