Potential breakthrough for osteoporosis announced

NHS: "Bone could be regrown to treat osteoporosis after breakthrough," The Daily Telegraph reports. This headline follows the development of a new drug that may increase bone formation, which could potentially combat osteoporosis. But this has only been tested in the lab so far and has not yet been proven to work in humans. The researchers took inspiration from a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes by improving sensitivity to the hormone insulin.

Drug treatment to prevent hip fracture is neither viable nor cost effective

BMJ: Current strategy is inefficient and associated with considerable harms, say experts The current focus on drugs to prevent hip fractures is neither viable as a public health strategy nor cost effective, argue an international team of researchers in The BMJ this week. Professor Teppo Järvinen and colleagues say drug treatment “can achieve at best a marginal reduction in hip fractures at the cost of unnecessary harms and considerable waste of monetary resources.” The article is part of The BMJ’s Too Much Medicine campaign - to highlight the threat to human health and the waste of resources caused by unnecessary care.

Healthy bones despite cancer - Austrian breast cancer study with groundbreaking findings

Vienna: With the largest breast cancer study conducted in Austria, ABCSG 18, the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) has demonstrated that it is possible to reduce osteoporosis as a long-term effect of endocrine cancer treatment, thereby once again positioning itself at the forefront of world cancer research. Throughout the world there are now two studies on the subject of "Bone health and cancer" – one of which was recently completed by the Austrian study group ABCSG (which has now been conducting studies successfully for 30 years), after running for more than 10 years with sensational findings that are likely to bring about a practice-change in the treatment of breast cancer.

Vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures

Cochrane: Osteoporosis is characterised by thin, fragile bones. Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are minimal trauma fractures of the vertebral (spine) bones (vertebrae). They can cause severe pain and disability. Vertebroplasty involves injecting medical-grade cement into a fractured vertebra through a needle inserted into the skin, under light sedation or general anaesthesia. The cement hardens in the bone space to form an internal cast.

Bone Mineral Density Improved in Frail Elderly Women Treated with Zoledronic Acid

JAMA: 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 by JAMA Internal Medicine. Nearly 2 million frail elderly Americans live in long-term care facilities and many of them have osteoporosis and bone fracture rates higher than less impaired elderly individuals.  A hip fracture can be dire, decreasing mobility, independence and often leading to death, according to background in the study.

Osteoporosis

Author: University of Washington Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Seattle, WA 2008-08-15

Osteoporosis: Loss of bone mass Osteoporosis (Greek: bone with too many passages) is a condition in which the holes in the bones become larger. Instead of bone, the spaces are filled with fat or bone marrow cells and the bone density is decreased. The bones are weak and break easily.

Osteoporosis

Author: Dr Nelson B. Watts University of Cincinnati 2008-10-29

Osteoporosis:  Osteoporosis is defined as a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing to an increased risk of fracture.

locally produced serotonin breaks down the bone tissue

Serotonin, a well-known brain neurotransmitter, is produced locally in an unexpected place: the bone tissue. This has just been demonstrated by research scientists from the Combined "Bone and joints" research unit 606 (Inserm/Paris Diderot) working jointly with the biochemistry laboratory from the Lariboisière Hospital and the “Cytokines, hematopoiesis and immune response” laboratory (CNRS/University of Paris Descartes) at the Necker Hospital in Paris. Apparently, this locally produced serotonin breaks down the bone tissue. These results, published in the PNAS, suggest that medications that modulate the effects of serotonin, such as anti-depressants or migraine drugs, could in one way or the other modify the delicate balance between the formation and the destruction of bone in the organism.