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5 Herbs for Bone Health
Mar 9, 2015 | Epoch Times
By Conan Milner
...As osteoporosis progresses, bones become porous and fragile, increasing the risk of fractures and breaks. The modern fix for this problem is a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, better known by brand names Fosamax, Actonel, and Boniva... -
Healthwise: More Than Just a Slip On the Ice
Mar 9, 2015 | My Central Jersey
By Kenneth G. Swan Jr., MD
...This fact should not be ignored, and treatment with one of the osteoporosis medications (for example Fosamax or Boniva) should be strongly considered. Osteoporosis medications can have some side effects, some of which can be serious. However, these medications work well with minimal downside in the majority of patients...
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Mar 9, 2015 | Epoch Times
By Conan Milner
The key to understanding bone health is understanding minerals.
The primary mineral in your skeleton is calcium, but bones do not live on calcium alone. Drop a piece of chalk (calcium carbonate) and it will easily shatter. No one wants an all-calcium skeleton.
Although calcium supplements are the most common strategy for maintaining strong bones, Americans are much more likely to be deficient in magnesium—a mineral that provides strength and a bit of flexibility to bone tissue.
...As osteoporosis progresses, bones become porous and fragile, increasing the risk of fractures and breaks. The modern fix for this problem is a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, better known by brand names Fosamax, Actonel, and Boniva.
Bisphosphonates emerged in the1990s, at about the same time doctors started acquiring machines to measure bone loss, and Medicare began to cover scans.
Bone scans give doctors a valuable tool in earlier bone loss detection, but critics say the system has mostly served to boost drug sales. The bone scan threshold is set so that even women who show a minor dip in density (osteopenia) are encouraged to take a bisphosphonate.
Bisphosphonates act on bone’s ability to process minerals. While this treatment strategy has demonstrated some improvement in mineral density and may slow the process of deterioration, its ability to create a stronger, healthier body is debatable. Common side effects include bloody urine, painful urination, esophageal irritation, lower back or side pain, flu-like symptoms, and anxiety.
In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a review of long term bisphosphonate trials in the New England Journal of Medicine. They found that these drugs can lead to “rare but serious adverse events” such as femur fractures, esophageal cancer, and jawbone death. Risk rose the longer the drug was taken...
For full story:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1276757-5-herbs-for-bone-health/
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Healthwise: More Than Just a Slip On the Ice
Mar 9, 2015 | My Central Jersey
By Kenneth G. Swan Jr., MD
Black ice.
That is what caused the elderly woman to fall and break her hip. However, this woman had a less apparent risk factor than her slippery sidewalk: osteoporosis. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 9 million osteoporotic fractures happen every year, worldwide.
Though my patient slipped on black ice, a simple fall in the kitchen or bathroom is a more typical scenario. A frightening, painful experience often ensues. Regardless of the place or mechanism of injury, the broken hip almost always requires hospitalization, surgery and often a prolonged stay at an inpatient nursing facility. Complications can arise, and a significant percentage of patients (up to 30 percent, according to some studies) do not survive the year ahead.
...If your DEXA scan reveals osteoporosis, or significant osteopenia in the presence of other risk factors (such as a prior fragility fracture or family history of osteoporotic related fracture) then you may be a candidate for prescription medication treatment to prevent a serious fracture. Discuss this with your primary physician or gynecologist at your next appointment.
Once a broken bone has occurred, action should be taken both to treat that fracture and to prevent the next one. A simple wrist fracture that needs a cast should be cause for concern of an impending, more serious hip fracture. This fact should not be ignored, and treatment with one of the osteoporosis medications (for example Fosamax or Boniva) should be strongly considered.
Osteoporosis medications can have some side effects, some of which can be serious. However, these medications work well with minimal downside in the majority of patients. They improve bone density and are an appropriate treatment option in patients at risk for a hip or spine fracture...
For full story:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/life/wellness/2015/03/09/health-osteoporosis/24509919/
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