Osteoporosis News and Research

Latest Osteoporosis News and Research

Does vitamin D reduce the risk of dementia?

Based on an increasing number of studies linking these risk factors with Vitamin D deficiency, an article in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (May 2009) by William B. Grant, PhD of the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC) suggests that further investigation of possible direct or indirect linkages between Vitamin D and these dementias is needed.

26 May 2009

Discovery of genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women

For the first time, scientists have been able to identify genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women. Ms Lisette Stolk, a researcher from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today ( Monday 25 May) that a greater understanding of the factors influencing age at menopause might eventually help to improve the clinical treatment of infertile women.

25 May 2009

Inflammation clue to fragile bones in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy

Inflammation could contribute to bone loss in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD), a discovery made by a group of Italian researchers. Dr Anna Rufo and her colleagues found that levels of an inflammatory molecule, known as IL-6, are high in patients with DMD.

25 May 2009

$Older women underestimate risk of bone fracture$

Older women underestimate risk of bone fracture

Most women who are likely to have a bone fracture do not think they are at greater risk, said a leading Italian rheumatologist at a European conference. This could help to explain why many women do not adhere to preventive treatment.

24 May 2009

Discovery of new target in fight against osteoporosis, periodontitis

Osteoporosis and periodontitis are common diseases whose sufferers must cope with weakness, injury and reduced function as they lose bone more quickly than it is formed. While the mechanism of bone destruction in these diseases is understood, scientists have had less information about how bone formation is impaired.

19 May 2009

Two new genes decide when a girl starts menstruation

An international team of researchers have identified two genes that are involved in determining when girls begin menstruation.

18 May 2009

Researchers unravel key mechanism in pathogenesis of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, or bone loss, is a disease that is most common in the elderly population, affecting women more often than men. Until now, it was not clear exactly how the disease develops.

15 May 2009

New guidelines on when to repeat bone mineral density tests for their patients

International clinical guidelines on the matter are hazy, with different practices followed in different countries. For a serious condition like osteoporosis, affecting millions, it is important to establish clear protocols.

12 May 2009

Scientific publishing giant guilty of some shonky behaviour

It has been revealed that the academic publisher Elsevier has admitted its Australian office produced six fake medical journals between 2000 and 2005.

11 May 2009

X-rays help predict permanent bone damage from bisphosphonates

Breast cancer patients, individuals at risk for osteoporosis and those undergoing certain types of bone cancer therapies often take drugs containing bisphosphonates. These drugs have been found to place people at risk for developing osteonecrosis of the jaws (a rotting of the jaw bones).

7 May 2009

Call for mothers to address bone health with daughters

Of all the gifts that generations of women have passed on to their loved ones, one of the most important is the gift of knowledge about health - especially information about bone health and osteoporosis.

3 May 2009

Many patients in intensive care are deficient in vitamin D

Australian researchers have discovered that many critically ill patients in intensive care are deficient in vitamin D.

30 Apr 2009

Wyeth's Conbriza (bazedoxifene) approved in Europe for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Conbriza (bazedoxifene), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women at increased risk of fracture.

27 Apr 2009

$Poor treatment for common vertebral compression fractures$

Poor treatment for common vertebral compression fractures

The advice and treatment given to patients with vertebral compression fractures is not satisfactory.

23 Apr 2009

In-body stem cell therapy has enormous potential for bone injuries

Rarely will physicians use the word "miraculous" when discussing patient recoveries. But that's the very phrase orthopaedic physicians and scientists are using in upstate New York to describe their emerging stem cell research that could have a profound impact on the treatment of bone injuries. Results from preliminary work being released today, patients confined to wheelchairs were able to walk or live independently again because their broken bones finally healed.

23 Apr 2009

Link found between vitamin D insufficiency and asthma severity

Serum levels of vitamin D in more than 600 Costa Rican children were inversely linked to several indicators of allergy and asthma severity, including hospitalizations for asthma, use of inhaled steroids and total IgE levels, according to a study that will appear in the first issue for May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

23 Apr 2009

Lilly granted preliminary injunction to prevent launch of generic Raloxifene

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana today issued a preliminary injunction to prevent the launch of a generic version of Lilly's medicine Evista (raloxifene HCl tablets) by Teva Pharmaceuticals until the Court renders its final ruling.

22 Apr 2009

Women who wear veils risk vitamin D deficiency

A study by Australian scientists has found that women who wear veils for religious or cultural reasons may not be getting enough vitamin D.

20 Apr 2009

Vegan nuns found to have same bone density as non-vegans

A study comparing the bone health of 105 post-menopausal vegan Buddhist nuns and 105 non-vegetarian women, matched in every other physical respect, has produced a surprising result.

16 Apr 2009

Vaccine for Coeliac disease could mean the end of gluten free diets

Australian scientists have developed an experimental vaccine to treat coeliac disease. The team at the Walter and Eliza Hall (WEHI) Institute in Melbourne are hoping a phase 1 clinical trial of the vaccine, due to begin this month, will eventually lead to an effective clinical treatment for the disease.

15 Apr 2009