BEST FIX FOR OSTEOPOROSIS
About 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis. The condition is characterized by low bone density, making people susceptible to fractures. But now doctors may be able to offer the most effective treatment yet.
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Judi Sheridan
"I don't want to have a broken bone."
Judi Sheridan wants to keep her body strong. She has osteoporosis -- a condition that puts her at risk for broken bones. The drug fosamax helped improve her bone density.
Judi Sheridan
Has Osteoporosis
"To me the real proof was about two years ago. I fell down the stairs here at work, almost a full flight of stairs, on my hip. I had terrible bruises, but I didn't break a singe bone."
Now, a new study shows fosamax is even more effective when taken with another drug. Lead scientist, Dennis Black says that's good news for patients at risk for fractures.
Dennis Black, PhD
Epidemiology Professor
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
"Roughly half the people who can live independently before a hip fracture are not able to live independently after a hip fracture".
Researchers gave postmenopausal women the bone-building drug PTH for one year followed by a year on Fosamax.
Dennis Black, PhD
"Using the two drugs in a sequential manner is clearly the optimal way to combine them."
The study showed women who took the two drugs had about a 30 percent increase in a certain type of bone density. Those who only took PTH had a 14 percent increase and those who only took Fosamax had a seven percent increase. The combination offered more improvements than any other drug regimen studied.
Dennis Black, PhD
"That's where the big payoff would come. Then, if you have a fall, instead of fracturing your hip and ending up in the hospital and having to have a new hip put in from surgery, that you could avoid the whole thing."
Judy hopes to do just that.
Judi Sheridan
"I expect to live a long and healthy life."
A goal that this new research may help her accomplish.
Another study showed that reversing the order the drugs were taken decreased their effectiveness.
One in two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.
BACKGROUND: In the United states, an estimated 10 million people have osteoporosis. Another 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. The majority of those with the disease are women -- about 80 percent. Osteoporosis causes bones to lose mass and become brittle and easily broken. People can end up in wheelchairs after a hip fracture. Worse, 15 percent of hip fractures can end up being fatal. Risk factors that can be controlled include weight and physical activity. Researchers found women who are overweight or obese have lower rates of osteoporosis, suggesting excess body weight may protect against the disease. On the other hand, underweight women tend to have higher rates of osteoporosis. Research has shown that women who do not exercise or who exercise more than five days per week have an increased risk.
TREATMENT: There are several medications that can be used for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel) are medications that slow down bone loss and have been shown to decrease the risk of fractures. Calcitonin (Calcimar, Miacalcin) is a hormone made from the thyroid gland and is usually given as a nasal spray or as an injection under the skin. It may help prevent spine fractures. Estrogen therapy alone or in combination with another hormone, progestin, has been shown to decrease the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures in women. However, the combination of estrogen with a progestin has been shown to increase the risk for breast cancer, strokes, heart attacks and blood clots. Selective estrogen receptor modulators mimic estrogens good effects on bones without some of the serious side effects such as breast cancer. Raloxifene (Evista) decreases spine fractures in women and is approved for use only in women at this time.
COMBINATION DRUGS: Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco experimented with combining two types of drugs to treat osteoporosis. Women took parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy for one year. Then, they took Fosamax. The PTH works to restore bone mass. Fosamax is then taken to prevent loss of bone mass. In this sequence, Fosamax is more effective than if taken alone. The medications are not taken at the same time. In a study, women who took only Fosamax for two years had an 8 percent increase in spine bone density. Those who took PTH alone only had a 4 percent increase in spine bone density. Those who took the Fosamax after a year on PTH had a 30 percent increase in the density of spongy bone in the spine. This sequential combination proved to be the most effective way to increase spinal bone density than any drug regiment studied over this time period. Researchers say these results may encourage physicians to reconsider which drug regimens they prescribe to their patients.
Wallace Ravven
University of California, San Francisco
News Services
wravven@pubaff.ucsf.edu
Copyright © 2006 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
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