The Dpd urine test is most valuable for pre- and perimenopausal women whose bones are beginning to thin. They can use the information to begin a bone-conserving program before a great deal of damage has been done. But it can be helpful for postmenopausal women as well, especially for those who are using either hormone therapy or bisphosphanates (drugs like Fosamax) that could reduce bone turnover. After all, if you’re being told to take Fosamax for the rest of your life, don't you want to know it's working? How about your exercise program? If you want to know whether or not it's working, or whether or not you’re taking the proper balance of supplements, this test will take the guesswork out. The normal range for this test is 2.5-6.5. If your results are 6.5 or greater, you will want to take action.

Where to get it
A number of different kinds of health care practitioners can order this test, including MDs, osteopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and nurse practitioners. Once you’ve found someone to order the test, you need to find a lab to run it.

Check with your local labs to see if they perform the Pyrilinks-D test. If they regularly check for hormone levels, there's a good chance that they do. Many labs charge a reasonable $80. Be sure to ask about coverage with your current insurance plan. You need a doctor's order in most states before your insurance will pay for it.

If you can't find a lab near you to run this test, contact Aeron Life Cycles Laboratory (877-222-3766). Their staff can answer your questions, and Donna, a personal friend of mine, will help you solve any problem if no one else can. She’s a true magician! By the way, Aeron accepts Medicare for payment in full for this test.

The test itself couldn't be simpler. You or your doctor contact the lab with the doctor’s order and ask to have a test kit mailed to you. Then you collect some of your urine the next morning and put it into the vial that’s included in the kit. Mail it back in the enclosed pre-paid padded envelope, and the lab will take care of the rest.

Making "young bones"
Any information I give you on osteoporosis would be incomplete without my frequently stated caveat about bone structure. When bone tissues are both thinner and brittle, you're at an increased risk for fractures. All of the tests I’ve mentioned measure bone density. They don't measure fragility — or brittleness. There is no test for this. However, it's a huge factor in whether or not you’ll break any bones if you fall.

High amounts of calcium create brittle bones. Magnesium makes bones less brittle and more flexible. I've talked about this in greater length in past articles, available on my website, and in my book, User's Guide to Calcium and Magnesium (800-728-2288). If you're taking supplemental calcium, or eating a lot of dairy, make sure you get as much magnesium as calcium. That way, any bone you have is more likely to be supple, like young bones.

Garnero, P., "Markers of bone resorption predict hip fracture in elderly women the EPIDOS prospective study," Journ of Bone and Min Res, vol. 11, no. 10, 1996.

Ju, H-S.J., et al. "Comparison of analytical performance and biological variability of three bone resorption assays." Clinical Chemistry, 1999.

Miller, P.D., MD, et al. "Practical clinical application of biochemical markers of bone turnover," Journ of Clin Densitometry, vol. 2, no. 3, 1999.