What is Bone Profile Blood Test? All You Need to Know

28 Feb 2025

Blood Tests and Bone Health

Your blood is truly amazing! It acts as a connecting link between the organs and tissues within your body as it transports energy, vitamins, electrolytes, and oxygen around your body. This is what makes blood a valuable element to healthcare professionals and doctors. Taking a look at your blood can say a lot about what is going on in different parts of your body.

This is why you must not be surprised if a blood test is done to check your bone health. As the skeleton forms the ultimate framework of your body, a good bone health is necessary. A blood test is perhaps the best way to see if your bones are in good condition. This blog encompasses more detailed insights into the bone profile blood test, its procedure and functions. 

What is the Bone Profile Blood Test?

The bone profile blood test is performed to assess and analyse the proteins, enzymes, and minerals present in your bones. It is a crucial test done to monitor and evaluate your bone health, and at the same time for ensuring the proper development and repairing of your bones.

What is the function of bone profile?

As said earlier, healthy bones are the key to right posture, movement, and overall wellbeing, and theynaturally become weak as you age. This is why it is more important for older men to take the bone profile blood test.

Besides overall health, bone profile is used to analyse and monitor certain conditions, including:

• Osteoporosis: Affecting more than 3 million people in the UK, osteoporosis is known to make your bones brittle, fragile, and more easily breakable. Your body starts to lose bone density with advancing age, or for reasons like hormone problems, eating disorders, or excessive drinking habits.
• Paget’s disease: Paget’s disease is another common bone disorder, affecting the renewal or turnover of bones, which means the way the bone tissue replaces itself. Once your doctor suspects you of having Paget’s disease, he/she would recommend a vitamin D test at once.
• Bone cancer: Can a bone profile blood test detect cancer? – It is one of the most asked questions. The answer is yes. A bone profile test can also detect signs of bone cancer, which is a very rare condition. Lumps, swelling, and bone pain are some common characteristic features of bone cancers. Your bones become more likely to break in such conditions.
• Thyroid problems and liver disease: A bone profile blood test can help diagnosing your thyroid or parathyroid problems. Your thyroid and parathyroid glands largely contribute to maintaining the balance of phosphorus and calcium levels in your body. So, problems with these glands can lead to different diseases of liver; which is the production house of different essential enzymes and proteins in our body.

What does a bone profile blood test check for – Looking at Normal Results

A bone profile blood test helps monitoring a broad range of bone conditions and diseases as well, which might not be directly relate to your bones. Well, the bone profile blood test looks for certain minerals in your blood.

Here are the four main minerals measured by bone profile blood test, along with their normal reference range as follows:

• Calcium: The bone profile test primarily measures the calcium levels in your blood. It is one of the most essential minerals determining your bone health. According to the NHS, the normal calcium levels range between 2.2 and 2.6 mmol/L.
• Albumin: Albumin is a protein produced by the liver. Low albumin levels are, however, responsible for low bone density. This is how a bone profile test can identify osteoporosis by assessing the albumin levels. The normal range of albumin levels lies between 35 and 50 g/L as per the NHS findings.
• Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP): ALP is an enzyme, commonly occurring in the liver cells and bones, and also helps detect liver diseases and bone disorders. Reference range for the ALP enzyme in adults is 30-130 u/L.
• Phosphate: Phosphates are those chemicals containing phosphorus. Phosphorus is a crucial mineral contributing to bone growth. The normal phosphate level should be between 0.74 and 1.4 mmol/L.

Moreover, a bone profile might also check for overall proteins, globulin, and urea.

What should I know about taking a bone profile blood test?

You will probably know that a sample of blood is extracted by a healthcare professional, nurse, or doctor during a blood test. The blood is then collected in a vial and then sent to a laboratory for analysis. Next, at least 4 to about 72 hours are required on an average for the laboratory testing until you receive your test results.

However, you might wonder what points to remember before taking the test. Unlike most other blood tests, a bone profile blood test does not necessarily require fasting prior to the test. You can normally go for the test without making any lifestyle changes at all, except one thing. If you are having any kind of calcium or other supplements, make sure to inform your doctor about it and probably you will be recommended to stop taking them before the test. 

It is usually best to discuss with your doctor about every supplement or medication you are taking, including any vitamin D, calcium or some other vitamin or mineral supplements, as these might influence your test results. 

Key Takeaways

In short, a bone profile blood test helps identifying the risks of liver problems, bone disorders, or hormonal imbalances. By looking at your protein and mineral levels in the blood, especially albumin, calcium, phosphates, and alkaline phosphate; the bone profile helps building a clear picture of your bone health. If you are experiencing symptoms of osteoporosis or other bone conditions, contact London GP Clinic today to book your appointment for bone profile blood test.

FAQs

How is a bone profile blood test performed?

Just like other blood tests, the doctor or whoever healthcare professional you are seeing will extract a small blood sample from your veins with the help of a syringe and needle. Next this sample is collected in a vial and then sent off to the laboratory for testing. Unlike other blood tests, fasting is not needed before taking a bone profile test. 

Why do I need a bone profile blood test?

Blood is the most important element in our body, carrying oxygen, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to all the cells throughout the body. It runs through your bones as well; hence blood test can help determine your bone health. As skeleton makes up the framework of your body, being aware of the skeletal heath is crucial and this is where a bone profile test can help. A bone profile test can help identify the risks of bone diseases and even bone cancers in individuals.

What does a bone profile blood test detect?

A bone profile blood test is used for checking diseases or conditions like bone cancer, osteoporosis, Paget’s disease of bones, and thyroid or liver problems as well.

When should I take a bone profile blood test?

You will require taking a bone profile blood test only when the doctor recommends you to do so to check for some suspected disease or condition, or for a comprehensive general check-up.

Can blood test help identify bone issues?

Blood test can identify underlying conditions which lead to different bone issues in individuals. However, it cannot diagnose osteoporosis. With blood test results, doctors can gather information on overall health of the individual, including any underlying medical issue.

What are the bone markers in blood test?

Bone markers consider the released substances into the blood and urine during rebuilding and resorption process. It refers to the enzymes and proteins for breakdown and resorption along with formation of collagen. These markers also help in detecting hormonal imbalance and bone loss.