A Canadian study sought to identify individuals at high fracture risk and provide them with pharmacotherapy to prevent fractures. They found the assessment of hip and lumbar dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans for vertebral fracture can be useful in the identification of women and men aged 70 years and older who should qualify for anti-osteoporosis treatment…... [Read More]
(Reuters Health)—Age-adjusted hip fracture incidence has declined in the U.S. over the past four decades, aided by a decline in smoking and alcohol consumption, a new study suggests. Researchers examined data on 4,918 men and 5,634 women who participated in the prospective Framingham Heart Study from 1970 to 2010. Overall, the age-adjusted incidence of hip… [Read More]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Denosumab injection delays of more than four months are associated with an increased risk of fracture compared with on-time injections, especially at the spine, new research indicates. “This study suggests the importance of timely denosumab administration when used for long-term osteoporosis management,” the researchers write in Annals of Internal Medicine.1 “When starting… [Read More]
Suggestions on how to assess risk and manage bone issues in chronic kidney disease patients are offered…... [Read More]
(Reuters Health)—Patients hospitalized for a hip fracture are less likely to experience a subsequent fracture-related hospitalization if they start anti-osteoporosis medication sooner, a Taiwanese study suggests.1 Researchers examined data on 77,930 patients aged 50 years and older hospitalized for hip fractures, including 9,986 people prescribed anti-osteoporosis medications within one year of the index fracture. Compared… [Read More]
A clinician’s ability to determine which patients are at greatest risk for hip or other fracture is improving with the use of algorithm-based fracture risk calculators…... [Read More]
Imagine leaving the hospital after suffering a heart attack without being treated for hypertension or being started on a beta blocker. What would we think of the hospital where patients are never educated about the relationship between treating hypertension and reducing myocardial infarction and stroke risk? Unfortunately, this happens every day with osteoporosis and fractures… [Read More]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Rates of osteoporotic fracture were similar three years after starting either denosumab or alendronate in a real-world Danish population-based cohort study. “Previous studies have shown that denosumab is more efficacious than alendronate in increasing bone mineral density (BMD), possibly the best proxy outcome for subsequent fracture risk. However, previous studies were underpowered… [Read More]
Higher anxiety levels in postmenopausal women may put them at increased risk of fracture and should be considered when assessing a woman’s risk of osteoporosis as well. This is the conclusion of a study recently published in the journal Menopause that looked at the role of anxiety in bone health.1 Specifically, the study examined the… [Read More]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In what is believed to be the largest study investigating genetic and clinical determinants of osteoporotic fracture risk, only a genetic predisposition to low bone mineral density (BMD) had a potential causal role to play. “Notably, genetic predisposition to lower levels of vitamin D and estimated calcium intake from dairy sources were… [Read More]