More than 53 million Americans age 50 and older, primarily women, have osteoporosis or are at high risk for the condition due to low bone density. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Bone in June 2016 found that approximately a third of women prescribed oral bisphosphonates, the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis treatment, continue to… Continue reading One-Third of Women Taking Bisphosphonates Remain at Risk for Fracture
Tag: Osteoporosis
71% of Hip Fracture Patients Not Told They Have Osteoporosis
More than seven in 10 older adults who suffer hip fractures aren’t told they have the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, despite the fact that hip fractures nearly always signify the presence of this potentially debilitating condition. That is the finding of research done in May 2016 by physicians atNorthwell Health in Great Neck on Long Island,… Continue reading 71% of Hip Fracture Patients Not Told They Have Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis: Get Checked
Nearly 56 million American adults have osteoporosis or low bone density. Each year, osteoporosis causes two million broken bones in the U.S. alone. These fractures result in more than half a million hospitalizations, more than 800,000 ER visits, more than 2.6 million trips to the doctor, and the placement of nearly 200,000 individuals into nursing… Continue reading Osteoporosis: Get Checked
Is Osteoporosis Surgery Better than Medication?
While most cases of osteoporosis are caused by normal aging, another leading cause of the bone-loss disease is a condition called hyperparathyroidism, in which the parathyroid glands release an excessive amount of a hormone that regulates the body’s calcium levels. Doctors commonly treat hyperparathyroidism using a class of prescription drugs called bisphosphonates, including alendronate (marketed… Continue reading Is Osteoporosis Surgery Better than Medication?
Not Just Bone Density Anymore: Genetics, Aging and Osteoporosis
One of the defining moments of my work in aging research was learning how dramatically age affects the deterioration of the skeleton. This realization motivated me to perform research focused on understanding age effects on the skeleton. Thus I have spent my career studying the impact of low bone density and working to characterize the… Continue reading Not Just Bone Density Anymore: Genetics, Aging and Osteoporosis
Growth Hormone Reduces Risk of Osteoporosis Fractures in Older Women
For years after it was administered, growth hormone continued to reduce the risk of fractures and helped maintain bone density in postmenopausal women who had osteoporosis, according to a study done in August 2015 and published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. A release from the society notes that osteoporosis is… Continue reading Growth Hormone Reduces Risk of Osteoporosis Fractures in Older Women
A Protein Could Help Millions with Osteoporosis
Administering a bone-building protein intravenously stimulates bone formation via the regenerative ability of stem cells, according to a new study by UCLA researchers. The results of the investigation into the protein NELL-1 could one day have an impact on the development of a treatment for osteoporosis, which affects more than 200 million people worldwide, according… Continue reading A Protein Could Help Millions with Osteoporosis
Dental Implants = Better Quality of Life for Women with Osteoporosis
Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are at greater risk of losing their teeth. A study done in June 2015 at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland suggests that dental implants may be the treatment with the highest degree of satisfaction. Leena Palomo, associate professor of periodontics and colleagues published their study in… Continue reading Dental Implants = Better Quality of Life for Women with Osteoporosis
Hip Fractures Caused by Falls, Not Osteoporosis
Anti-osteoporotic medication is not an effective means for preventing hip fractures among the elderly, according to a study done by an international research group and published in May 2015 in the BMJ. A release from the University of Helsinki in Finland notes that proximal femoral fractures (i.e., hip fractures) occur in the world at a… Continue reading Hip Fractures Caused by Falls, Not Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis Test Being Given Too Often
Many women who get a common osteoporosis screening test don’t need it. And many women who do need it don’t get it, according to researchers. A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that screening rates increased sharply among women at age 50, despite guidelines suggesting screening at age 65 unless risk… Continue reading Osteoporosis Test Being Given Too Often
Men Far Less Likely to Prevent & Screen for Osteoporosis
While the consequences of osteoporosis are worse in men than women – including death – older males are far less likely to take preventive measures against the potentially devastating bone-thinning disease or accept recommendations for screening, according to research done by North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System geriatricians and presented at The American Geriatrics… Continue reading Men Far Less Likely to Prevent & Screen for Osteoporosis
Bone Density Improved with Zoledronic Acid
A single intravenous dose of the osteoporosis drug zoledronic acid improved bone mineral density in a group of frail elderly women living in nursing homes and long-term-care facilities, according to an article published online in April 2015 by JAMA Internal Medicine. A release from the publisher notes that nearly two million frail elderly Americans live… Continue reading Bone Density Improved with Zoledronic Acid
Standardizing Criteria for Age-Related Muscle Loss
The term “sarcopenia”, from the Greek “sarco” meaning flesh and “penia” meaning deficiency, is most often used to describe age-related loss in muscle mass and strength, and it is commonly considered analogous to osteoporosis. Yet unlike osteoporosis, which can be diagnosed based on widely accepted clinical criteria, sarcopenia is not recognized as a clinical condition… Continue reading Standardizing Criteria for Age-Related Muscle Loss
Fewer Osteoporosis Tests?
Post-menopausal women who have normal bone density don’t need another bone mass density (BMD) test until they’re 65, according to a new study. The research, based on the Women’s Health Initiative, looked at 4,068 menopausal women age 50 to 64 who had a BMD test and didn’t have any osteoporosis-related fractures. They were not taking… Continue reading Fewer Osteoporosis Tests?
A New Remedy for Osteoporosis?
A newly developed dietary supplement is better than calcium and vitamin D in supporting bone health, according to researchers from Florida State University. The investigators examined the dietary supplement KoACT®, comparing it with calcium and vitamin D. KoAct contains calcium and collagen. The two substances are bound together in the supplement. The study, published in… Continue reading A New Remedy for Osteoporosis?
Study: Osteoporosis Screening Guidelines Are Inadequate
Current guidelines for bone-density testing aren’t good enough, according to a new investigation. The study, led by researchers from UCLA, contradicts guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF, whose findings are consistently reported widely, recommends that all women 65 and older be tested for low bone mineral density. Additionally, the group… Continue reading Study: Osteoporosis Screening Guidelines Are Inadequate
World Osteoporosis Day 2014: Real Men Build Strength from Within
World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th and marks the beginning of a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. For 2014, the focus is on the fact that men can get osteoporosis even though it is often thought of as… Continue reading World Osteoporosis Day 2014: Real Men Build Strength from Within
A Drug that May Stop Osteoporosis
A previously overlooked group of cells may be crucial to the process of bone loss in post-menopausal women, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. The investigators said that the discovery makes the cells, known as preosteoclasts, a likelier subject for further research. It also sheds lights on the success of an osteoporosis drug that’s in… Continue reading A Drug that May Stop Osteoporosis