Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Medicines Used To Treat Osteoporosis.
Shari Roan writing in the Los Angeles Times reported that, according to research presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, “adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream also appear to boost the power of bisphosphonates, medications used to treat osteoporosis.” In their study, “researchers found that having a circulating vitamin D level greater than 33 nanograms per milliliter was linked to a seven times greater likelihood of having a good response to bisphosphonates.”
Increasing Milk Intake Will Not Significantly Reduce Risk For Hip Fracture.
Laura Dean writing in Medwire reported that, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, increasing milk intake will not significantly cut a person’s risk for hip fracture. The study looking at both men and women found no correlation between milk intake and reduced risk for fractures of the hip.
Megan Brooks writing in Medscape Medical News reported “In patients with prior heart attack, most nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), even when taken for as little as 1 week, are associated with an increased risk for death and recurrent MI, new observational data indicate. Use of NSAIDs was associated with a 45% increased risk for death or recurrent heart attack in the first 7 days of treatment and a 55% increased risk if treatment continued to 3 months. The findings were published in Circulation. “We found that short-term treatment with most NSAIDs was associated with increased and instantaneous cardiovascular risk,” stated first author Anne-Marie Schjerning Olsen, MB, from Copenhagen University in Hellerup, Denmark.
About Half Of Osteoporosis Patients Find The Decision To Take Medication After Fragility Fracture “Difficult.”
Laura Dean writing in Medwire reported, “Just under half of osteoporosis patients find the decision to take medication following a fracture is not an easy one,” according to a study in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. For the study, researchers “conducted an analysis among six men and 15 women aged 65-88 years, who had sustained a fragility fracture within the previous five years.” Nine subjects “reported greater difficulty making their decision; they needed time to think and took several factors into consideration when making their choice. The team observed that these patients were unconvinced by their healthcare provider, engaged in risk-benefit analyses using other information sources, and were concerned about side effects.”
Whew: In my mind, after seeing the pain of an osteoporosis related fracture and knowing these fractures can lead to nursing home placement and death, I don’t understand the findings of this study.
Thyroid Medication May Increase Risk Of Fractures In Elderly Patients.
The BBC News reported, “Many elderly people may be taking ‘excessive’ medication for their thyroid problems, increasing their fracture risk,” according to a study in the British Medical Journal. Although a “synthetic hormone, thyroxine, is given to people whose thyroid glands produce too little naturally,” Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe, of Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto, and colleagues, “say having too much boosts fracture risk and doses may need to be reduced as people age.”
In a report in the Telegraph, Professor Tracey Howe, of Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Elderly people should waltz around the living room three times a week to reduce their risk of falls, research suggests.” Other suggestions include carrying a bag while walking. However, “walking and cycling, although good for overall health, are no good at reducing the number of falls.” The research is published in The Cochrane Library.
Gender Determines Amount Of Bone Loss Prevented By Eating Fish
Laura Dean writing in Medwire reported that eating “at least three servings” of fish, particularly “dark fish,” per week may protect against “age-related bone loss,” according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers found that high intakes of “particular types of fish relative to low intakes were significantly associated with less bone loss in men (dark fish, tuna, and dark fish + tuna) and women (dark fish only).” But only men who ate the most fish lost “significantly less” BMD over four years.
The Associated Press reports, “A Michigan Technological University researcher is using a $1 million grant from National Institutes of Health to see if a bear hormone holds promise for treating osteoporosis in humans.” Associate professor Seth Donahue has “been studying bears to help learn what protects their bones against calcium loss during hibernation.” Donahue is “now undertaking two related studies, one involving human bone-making cells and the other involving mice with osteoporosis.”
Osteoporosis drugs protective against colon cancer?
Susan London writing in Rheumatology News described a recent study from Israel that demonstrated use of bisphosphonates, drugs used to treat osteoporosis for more than a year was associated with a 59 percent reduction in the risk of colon cancer. The study involved 1,866 post-menopausal women.
