Bone loss screening can be less frequent, study finds

From CBC News:
Elderly men and women are at high risk of hip fracture due to bone loss, say researchers, but given rates of bone loss, screening can occur as infrequently as every five years.

Bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become brittle and more prone to fracture.

The study, which tracked 9,423 participants between the ages of 25 and 85, found bone loss among women aged 50 to 54, which data showed had the most pronounced bone loss of all age groups, was 1.3 per cent.

According to the researchers, this decrease is within the margin or error of most bone densitometry machines, meaning that the loss is not as significant as once thought.

"The extent of the bone loss that we observed suggests that repeat measurements of bone density could be delayed to intervals of up to five years in the absence of other risk factors," they write. ...more

Bone drugs iffy

From the Toronto Sun:
Can drugs that strengthen your bones actually hurt them?

That question has been asked recently by many women upon reading reports that osteoporosis drugs (prescribed to strengthen thinning bones) can trigger osteonecrosis (destruction of bone, in particular the jaw).

Some women who take this class of drugs, called bisphosphonates or BFs, also report stiffness and pain.

BFs are used by millions world-wide. As our population ages, it's likely that even more people will take them to prevent osteoporosis -- a condition that plagues 1.4 million Canadians.

Use has increased as well since women discovered they could no longer rely on estrogen (now linked to breast cancer) to keep bones strong. ...more

Study suggests those taking osteoporosis drugs risk painful bone condition

From the Canadian Press:
Millions of women around the world who take a certain class of osteoporosis drugs may be at higher risk of a painful and disfiguring condition, Canadian researchers warn in a new study.

The study released Tuesday found the popular class of osteoporosis drugs almost tripled the risk of developing bone necrosis.

The study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Montreal's McGill University is the largest of its kind into the connection between the disease and specific brands of bisphosphonates sold under the names Didrocal, Actonel and Fosamax.

The warning follows a recent alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about bisphosphonates and the higher possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain in patients taking the drugs.

"I think the study's important just basically to let the public know if they do experience any severe, unusual pain they could tell their health professional," said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, the principle investigator from the University of British Columbia. ...more

Common diabetes drug may increase chances of developing osteoporosis

From CBC News:
The popular diabetes drug marketed as Avandia may increase bone thinning, a discovery that could help explain why diabetics can have an increased risk of fractures.

New research raises the possibility that long-term treatment with rosiglitazone, as Avandia is also called, could lead to osteoporosis. The diabetes drug is used to improve response to insulin.

While bones seem solid, they constantly are being broken down and rebuilt by the body. Researchers found that in mice, the drug increased the activity of the cells that degrade bones, according to a report in this week's online issue of Nature Medicine. ...more

New drug drastically reduces fractures, research shows

From the Globe and Mail:
A drug that needs to be injected only once a year can sharply reduce fractures in women suffering from the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, according to a new study.

Annual treatment with zoledronic acid produced impressive results in a large clinical trial, including:

A 70-per-cent reduction in spine fractures;

A 41-per-cent drop in broken hips;

A 25-per-cent reduction in other fractures, such as broken wrists.

On the downside, the drug appears to increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that greatly increases the risk of stroke. ...more