Health News
Osteoporosis Drugs
March 15th, 2010
Recent media stories have reported that long-term use of osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax may increase the risk of broken bones in some women. While these drugs are extremely helpful in preventing spine, hip and wrist fractures, they can also cause thigh bone fractures by making bones dense but brittle. Patients who take these medications for 5 years or longer appear to be at increased risk of bone fractures.
At Henry Ford, we recommend that patients discuss their options with their physician before discontinuing these medications. Adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, regular daily weight bearing exercises and taking the medication to prevent osteoporosis and fracture is still very important as we strive to understand these unusual thigh bone fractures. We first brought to the medical community this concern as a result of clinical research conducted at Henry Ford Hospital. We are continuing our research to unravel the mechanisms underlying these fractures.
-- D. Sudhaker Rao, M.D., section head, Bone & Mineral Metabolism and director, Bone & Mineral Research Lab, Henry Ford Hospital
SOURCE: Henry Ford Hospital
Archived News
2010 Articles | 2009 Articles | 2008 Articles | 2007 Articles | 2006 Articles
When Behind the Wheel this Holiday Weekend, Decide to Drive, September 2nd, 2011
