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NEWS
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Advancement: Osteoporosis Treatment
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that a popular bone-fortifying drug, Fosamax, can strengthen bones for a period of at least a decade. According to the drug's producer Merck, over three million Americans currently take Fosamax to increase bone density and prevent fractures.
The study examined 247 postmenopausal women and measured their bone densities. The women were divided into two groups: the first took Fosamax for ten years; the second group took the drug for five years and then was given a placebo. The results showed that Fosamax maintained or increased bone density throughout the ten-year study. Even after the drug was stopped, the improved bone density decreased very gradually. Bone density measurements revealed that the lower spine bone density of the group taking Fosamax for the full ten years increased by 14%, with almost 4% of that in the last five years of the study. The bone density in the lower back of the group that stopped taking Fosamax increased by 9% over the ten-year study, but almost all of this increase occurred during the first five years while they were taking the drug. The hip bone density of the group that remained on Fosamax for ten years also increased, while the hip bone density of the other group declined.
Although the results of this study are promising, many questions surrounding the use of Fosamax remain unanswered. For example, the study was too small to compare the effects of various factors, such as the level of Fosamax given, on fracture risk. Additionally, the study did not determine the optimal length of time that Fosamax should be taken. Even though the study illustrates that Fosamax can be taken safely by postmenopausal women with osteoporosis for at least ten years, concern still exists that Fosamax might eventually weaken bones if taken for too long or in high doses. Tests performed in animals have shown that Fosamax taken in high doses can weaken bones, making them more susceptible to fractures.
Despite the unanswered questions, this study clearly marks a great breakthrough for the long-term treatment of osteoporosis. Of the ten million Americans that suffer from this chronic disease, 80% are postmenopausal women and about 50% of women over the age of fifty will fracture a bone as a result of osteoporosis. For years, the most popular treatment was estrogen hormone replacement therapy. Recent research has shown, however, that estrogen's benefits may be outweighed by various potential health risks, including breast cancer, heart attack, blood clots, and stroke. The development of Fosamax as an alternative to hormone replacement to maintain bone density eliminated these risks, and this new study confirms the benefits of Fosamax when taken daily.
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