Bone health blood tests, at home

Vitamin D + calcium is the metabolic picture. DEXA is the structural picture (actual bone density). Both have a role — vitamin D first, DEXA if you have risk factors (post-menopausal, fracture history, steroid use, family history).

Most Indian endocrinology bodies recommend > 30 ng/mL. Below 20 ng/mL is deficiency, 20–30 is insufficiency. Correction usually uses 60,000 IU/week for 6–8 weeks, then a maintenance 1000–2000 IU/day. Always under medical guidance.

Only if your dietary intake is low. Aim for 1000–1200 mg/day from food first (dairy, ragi, paneer, sesame, green leafy). Supplement only the gap. Excess calcium supplementation may increase cardiovascular risk in some studies.

It can reflect bone (high turnover — growing children, healing fracture, Paget's disease) or liver (bile-duct issues). To distinguish, your doctor may order bone-specific ALP or GGT (liver-specific). Mildly elevated values in adolescents are usually normal.

Absolutely. Male osteoporosis is under-diagnosed but real, especially in men with low testosterone, alcohol use, smoking or chronic steroid therapy. The same panel applies — Indian guidelines recommend screening men over 70 or with risk factors.