NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Switching women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from oral bisphosphonates to teriparatide increases bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score, according to a new report. Researchers in Japan conducted an 18-month observational study of more than 175 women with RA (mean age: 66) who remained on oral bisphosphonates, switched to denosumab (DMAb),…
Biochemical Insights into Progeria Syndrome Identify Bisphosphonates, Statins as Possible Candidate Drugs to Halt Aging
Can We Stay Forever Young? May your heart always be joyful And may your song always be sung May you stay forever young Forever Young —Bob Dylan Beneath the rubric of orphan diseases reside some rare conditions and others that are extraordinarily uncommon. These are the diseases that most physicians either never to get to…
Women on Osteoporosis Drugs Still Need Bone Density Screenings
(Reuters Health)—Women with osteoporosis who take bisphosphonates to help avoid fractures still need to have their bone density monitored, a Canadian study suggests. Researchers who studied more than 6,600 women taking osteoporosis drugs found that for nearly one in five, bone mineral density at the hip actually decreased after the women started taking the medication….
GI Side Effects Leading Reason for Bisphosphonate Nonadherence
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Gastrointestinal side effects are the most common reason osteoporotic women cite for nonadherence to oral bisphosphonate therapy, according to a new survey. “Our findings highlight the importance of low tolerability to nonadherence with osteoporosis therapy and underlines patients’ poor awareness and suboptimal physicians’ involvement in conveying the importance of this therapy,” Dr….
2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Research Lends Insight Into Osteoporosis Treatment, New Auto-Inflammatory Disease, Scleroderma
SAN FRANCISCO—Post-menopausal women with osteoporosis, previously treated with oral bisphosphonates, had greater increases in bone density when taking denosumab compared with zoledronic acid over a year’s time, according to a study presented at the 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The findings were discussed in the Discovery 2015 plenary session, which focused on new research. In the…
Do Bisphosphonates Increase Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
In a large-scale study, researchers demonstrated that the use of bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women is associated with an increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, in addition to other known risks (e.g., incapacitating bone, joint and/or musculoskeletal pain, and osteonecrosis of the jaw)…
Did Reports of Side Effects Contribute to Drop in Bone Drug Use?
(Reuters Health)—Media reports raising safety concerns about osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates may have contributed to a sharp drop in their use—even though U.S. doctors and drug regulators haven’t recommended against taking them, a study suggests. Fosamax (alendronate sodium) won U.S. marketing approval in 1995. Widespread use of the drug and others like it over…
Atypical Fractures Associated with Bisphosphonates
Plus, FX006, odanacatib and other rheumatology drug news, safety updates
ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2012: New Treatments and Strategies Emerge for Osteoporosis
Rheumatology experts urge caution in using bisphosphonates to prevent bone loss
A&R and AC&R Abstracts: Bisphosphonates
Want to learn more about bisphosphonates and fractures? Check out these abstracts from Arthritis & Rheumatism and Arthritis Care & Research.