Endocrinology & Bone Health: Understanding the Connection

Endocrinology is used in the diagnosis of bone disorders.

Endocrinology

• Endocrinology is is an area of medical practice that involves the diagnosis and treatment of hormonal and metabolism disorders.

Bone Disease

• There are hundreds of disorders that affect bones. These may be caused by cancer, nutrition and lifestyle, or metabolic and hormonal issues. In some cases the causes may be unknown.

Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is an example of a bone disease for which an endocrinologist may be called in. Hormones such as estrogen or other hormone-like medications approved for preventing and treating osteoporosis play a role in treatment.

Bone Inflammation

• Endocrinology may also be involved in the diagnosis of bone inflammation. For example, blood tests that check for alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme crucial to bone growth, would be used in the diagnosis of Paget's disease, the most common form of bone inflammation.

Considerations

• Bone-related problems are usually detected as the result of more routine medical procedures. Endocrinology can bring about a more detailed diagnosis through hormonal, blood and metabolic tests.