-A +A
Text Size
Home » News and Research » Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis News and Research

Among women, osteoporotic hip fracture dramatically increases risk of death within one year
10/14/2011 - It is well established that hip fractures can increase mortality among osteoporosis patients, but a new study conducted in Oregon found that this injury puts elderly women at a much greater risk of death within the year following the fracture.
Break me twice, shame on you: Among osteoporotic men, first vertebral fracture boosts risk of second
10/11/2011 - Data presented at the annual conference of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) indicates that male osteoporosis patients who suffer one vertebral pressure fracture have a significantly increased risk of experiencing another.
Osteoporosis drug may extend survival in older, not younger, breast cancer patients
10/10/2011 - Though initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use among osteoporosis patients, zoledronic acid may double as a life-extending therapy for older women with breast cancer.
Scientists pinpoint gene that carries osteoporosis risk
10/07/2011 - While heredity is known to play a major role in an individual's likelihood of developing osteoporosis, until recently scientists could only point to a handful of genes that appear to confer this risk. However, all that has begun to change.
Osteoporosis drug may double as pain reliever for metastasized prostate cancer
10/04/2011 - While bisphosphonates are currently prescribed as a treatment for osteoporosis, one variety of the medication may soon be repurposed as a pain reliever for prostate cancer patients with bone metastases.
Experts weigh the benefits of 'drug holiday' from osteoporosis medications
09/22/2011 - While bisphosphonates and other osteoporosis medications are not meant to be taken for decades on end, some physicians recommend that patients who respond well to several years of such pharmaceutical treatments consider taking a "drug holiday."
Heavy alcohol consumption can fast-track osteoporosis onset
09/20/2011 - While light alcohol consumption does not harm bone health, multiple studies have shown that heavy drinking can drastically interfere with bone turnover and accelerate the onset of osteoporosis.
Computer simulation models economic savings from adherence to osteoporosis medications
09/16/2011 - Most osteoporosis patients are aware of the individual physical impact of sticking to their treatment regimen, but it can be harder to conceptualize the economic savings that broad adherence to medications can have.
Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher bone turnover, osteoporosis risk
09/12/2011 - Many physiological factors affect the rate at which bones break down and reform their mineral content, but new research conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) suggested that socioeconomic status (SES) may also have some bearing on bone turnover and the risk of osteoporosis.
Can doctors accurately determine osteoporosis-related fracture risk without using bone scans?
09/09/2011 - Bone density tests are typically considered an invaluable tool for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, but new research suggests that physicians may be able to ballpark a patient's risk of hip fracture without resorting to bone scans.
For people with osteoporosis, exercise may encourage stem cells to become bone
09/02/2011 - Numerous public health authorities recommend that osteoporosis patients exercise as a way to build both bone and muscle, and now a seminal study has demonstrated that this skeleton-strengthening effect may be due to the way that physical activity activates certain stem cells.
Few men with osteoporosis-related fractures seek out treatment for bone loss
08/18/2011 - Osteoporosis affects at least 2 million American males, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), but a new investigation revealed that older men are unlikely to see primary care physicians or seek treatment for bone loss following a fracture.
Researchers explain history of clinical concept of osteoporosis
08/09/2011 - The concept of osteoporosis as a preventable, human-centric disease is a relatively new notion with a long formative history, one that a pair of Norwegian recently spelled out in an issue of the journal Science, Technology and Human Values.
Dedicated coordinators improve osteoporosis care for patients in smaller communities
08/02/2011 - Having a dedicated osteoporosis coordinator may help individuals with low bone density pursue the medical attention and preventive care they need following a low-impact fracture.
Doctors may one day use toenail clippings to diagnose osteoporosis
07/22/2011 - Dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans are currently the gold standard for osteoporosis detection, but new bone health exams are developed each year, like a toenail clipping-based test being created by an Irish medical technology firm.
Researchers say seizures related to osteoporosis medication are rare, caused by mitigating factors
07/21/2011 - The potential side effects of zoledronic acid, a prescription medication used to treat or prevent osteoporosis, include seizures, but research has found that these are exceedingly rare and usually the result of unanticipated drug interactions, hypoglycemia or a history of epilepsy.
Likelihood of wrist fractures varies by age, season, presence of osteoporosis
07/20/2011 - Individuals who suffer a wrist fracture may have a higher risk of being diagnosed with osteoporosis, and recent research has suggested that the risk of such an injury may hinge on a person's age and the time of the year.
People get tested for osteoporosis when institutes have dedicated bone health clinicians
07/15/2011 - Getting tested for osteoporosis is not always as simple as going to a doctor and asking for a bone mass density scan, which is one reason why researchers from Toronto analyzed the effects that stem from a fracture clinic's having a dedicated bone health technician.
Bone protein analysis may augment osteoporosis testing technology
07/11/2011 - Healthcare professionals looking for the signs of osteoporosis typically test bone for its density and calcium content, but new innovations in the field of proteomics may lead to an expansion of such testing to incorporate bone protein exams.
Osteoporosis experiment will go up in final space shuttle mission
07/06/2011 - As part of an experiment related to progressive bone loss and osteoporosis, 30 mice are slated to be aboard the final space shuttle mission scheduled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Blueberries may help strengthen bones, prevent osteoporosis
07/01/2011 - Coming on the heels of several similar investigations, a new study of polyphenols - which give blueberries and other fruits their color - has determined that they may boost bone growth or even prevent osteoporosis.
LRP5 gene may control bone density, potentially leading to osteoporosis treatments
06/13/2011 - Flipping a genetic switch that controls specialized cells in human bone may one day be an effective way to reverse osteoporosis, according to researchers at the Children's Hospital Boston.
Loss of citrate may result in thinning bones, osteoporosis
06/10/2011 - While bones need vitamin D and calcium to avoid becoming brittle or developing osteoporosis, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have announced that the compound citrate may contribute to bone strength, too.
Celiac disease quadruples risk of osteoporosis
06/08/2011 - For individuals who are not otherwise at risk for osteoporosis, having celiac disease puts them at more than four times the risk of developing progressive bone loss, according to researchers from the Lancaster University School of Health and Medicine.
Mild hyperthyroidism may increase risk of death among the elderly
06/07/2011 - According to a team of Italian researchers from the University of Parma, having mild, asymptomatic hyperthyroidism - a form of thyroid disease in which the gland overproduces thyroid hormones - can dramatically increase the risk of death among the elderly.