What You Can Expect to Measure, Monitor, and Improve
🧠 Why Tracking Matters
Improving your bone health isn’t guesswork — we use specific markers, timed appropriately, to monitor how well your program is working.
Whether you’re starting with osteopenia, osteoporosis, or early warning signs, the BoneBuilder program helps track progress using:
- Blood and urine markers
- DEXA body and bone scans
- Functional outcomes (strength, balance, mobility)
When we track the right markers at the right times, we know whether to stay the course, escalate, or celebrate your progress.
📋 What We Track — and Why
| Marker | What It Tells Us |
| CTX (Urine) | How quickly you’re breaking down bone (bone resorption) |
| 25(OH) Vitamin D | Your body’s vitamin D stores — needed for calcium and hormone metabolism |
| PTH (Parathyroid Hormone) | Indicates if calcium regulation is working properly |
| RBC Magnesium | Long-term magnesium status, essential for vitamin D activation and bone matrix |
| Serum Phosphorus | Low levels = possible deficiency, high levels = potential PTH or kidney issues |
| hs-CRP / ESR | Systemic inflammation (a key driver of bone loss) |
| Ferritin | Iron storage — both low and high can impact bone and hormone function |
| Sex Hormones (T, E2, P4, DHEA, SHBG) | Crucial for determining if hormonal support is needed (especially in women 40+) |
| BMD (DXA Scan) | Bone mineral density — gold standard for long-term progress |
| Body Comp DXA | Fat vs. lean mass — sarcopenia often travels with bone loss |
| Functional Tests (balance, grip strength, mobility) | Fall risk and muscle preservation — clinically meaningful outcomes |
🕒 When We Track It — Your Testing Timeline
| Test | Initial Consult | 3 Months | 6 Months | Annually |
| CTX (Urine) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Optional |
| 25(OH) D | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| PTH, Mg, Phos | ✅ | If needed | ✅ | Optional |
| Sex Hormones | ✅ (if indicated) | If adjusting therapy | Optional | Optional |
| Inflammation (CRP/ESR) | ✅ | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| DEXA (BMD) | ✅ (or ordered) | — | — | ✅ |
| DXA Body Comp | ✅ | Optional | ✅ | ✅ |
| Functional Outcomes | Baseline | Optional | ✅ | ✅ |
💡 CTX is your “early signal” — if it’s dropping within 3–6 months, your protocol is working!
The actual biomarkers that are ordered for each individual patient may vary from this schedule depending on individual needs.
🔍 Sample CTX Timeline
| Time | CTX Trend | What It Means |
| Month 0 | Elevated | Bone loss is active |
| Month 3 | ↓ 20–30% | Great response to supplements + LDN |
| Month 6 | ↓ 40–50% | Likely to show BMD gains by 12–18 months |
| Month 12+ | Stable or ↓ | Maintain gains or adjust plan if plateauing |
🧠 What If It’s Not Working?
If markers don’t improve:
- We may escalate to rapamycin or referred you for other medication (such as Prolia)
- Reassess inflammation, gut health, or celiac panel
- Review hormone status, compliance, and nutrient absorption
- Refer to PCP or endocrinology if red flags arise
✅ What You Can Do
- ✅ Follow supplement protocol daily
- ✅ Track symptoms and energy
- ✅ Attend your follow-up visits
- ✅ Use your portal to ask questions
- ✅ Bring up any life changes (diet, illness, medication)
📩 We’re here to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
📩 Questions About Your Labs?
Your results will be reviewed in your consults, but you can also message us:
- If you’re confused by a lab report
- If you get results from another provider
- If you need to reschedule a test