Bone loss leads to an increased incidence of fracture and is associated with the development of osteoporosis, which can strike people of any age and afflicts 10 million individuals in the U.S. today. Research indicates that osteoporosis causes more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including approximately 300,000 fractures at other sites. Early detection of bone loss (resorption), like that revealed by a combination of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and monitoring the level of deoxypyridinoline in urine, provides the most complete picture of long-term and short-term bone health. In this reports, we examine the effects of increased bone resorption and various methods of testing for bone loss, present findings from the literature on the effects of and monitorying for bone resorption, and profile individuals most likely to benefit from testing for a decrease in bone mass.