News Related to Osteoporosis

1. New Test for Osteoporosis Fracture Risk
   

   June 24, 2008 -- An ultrasound exam of the heel combined with an assessment of specific risk factors for bone loss and falling can help predict fracture risk due to osteoporosis, a new study suggests. Researchers say the combination approach could be used to identify older people with a low fracture

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2. Moderate Drinking for Strong Bones?
   

   May 22, 2008 -- Alcoholism is a well-established risk factor for osteoporosis and related fractures, but a drink or two a day just may help keep bones strong, a review of the research shows. Moderate alcohol consumption -- and the key is "moderate" -- was associated with a lower risk for hip fractur

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3. New Guidelines for Osteoporosis in Men
   

   May 8, 2008 -- The American College of Physicians has issued new guidelines to bring awareness to osteoporosis screening in older men. "Osteoporosis is not just a women's disease," says Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA, of the American College of Physicians, in a news release. "Not enough older men are bei

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4. 7 Gene Regions Tied to Osteoporosis
   

   April 29, 2008 -- Your genes may affect your odds of developing osteoporosis, and now scientists have seven new leads on which genes affect osteoporosis risk. It's too early for a gene test to gauge osteoporosis risk, but researchers are working toward that goal. The new clues about the genetics of

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5. Osteoporosis Drugs: Risk to the Heart?
   

   April 28, 2008 -- The osteoporosis drug Fosamax may be linked to increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms, a new study shows. But experts urge patients not to quit Fosamax or similar osteoporosis drugs based on the findings. "We're not saying that this drug should be stopped and we certainly do not

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6. Bone Loss Drug Linked to Rare Fracture
   

   March 19, 2008 -- Long-term use of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax may weaken the bones in a small subset of people taking the drug. Patients who suffer this unusual side effect suffer broken legs after minor falls. It's likely that other drugs in the same class as Fosamax -- the bisphosphonates -- ha

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7. FDA OKs First Generic Fosamax
   

   Feb. 6, 2008 -- The FDA today approved the first generic versions of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax (alendronate). Teva Pharmaceuticals will make generic Fosamax in 5-milligram, 10-milligram, and 40-milligram daily doses, and in 35-milligram and 70-milligram weekly doses. Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. wi

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8. Calcium-Packed Carrots in the Works
   

   Jan. 14, 2008 -- The carrots of tomorrow may pack more calcium, thanks to genetic engineering. Normal carrots don't contain much calcium. By tweaking a carrot gene, scientists at Texas A & M University and Baylor College of Medicine have developed calcium-rich carrots. In an experiment, 30 adults at

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9. Bone Test Predicts Spine Fracture
   

   Dec. 18, 2007 -- Postmenopausal women who seem healthy but have low bone-mineral density are at risk of spinal fracture later in life. The finding comes from a 15-year study of nearly 2,700 women who were an average 69 years old at the start of the study. Spinal fracture is the most common kind of f

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10. No Osteoporosis Drug Proven Best
    

    Dec. 17, 2007 -- There is no proof that the most widely prescribed osteoporosis drugs work better than other drug treatments for the prevention of bone fractures. That is the finding from a new report funded by the U.S. government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Based on an anal

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