A new option for treating osteoporosis

Article Abstract:

Osteoporosis (decrease in bone mass) is a costly disorder that often affects postmenopausal women, resulting in fractures of the vertebrae or other bones. It is treated by calcium, estrogen (a sex hormone), or calcitonin (a hormone that slows bone resorption). A study in the July 12, 1990 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reported considerable improvement in the fracture rate among women who took etidronate, a compound related to pyrophosphate. Similar results have been reported by another research group. Both pyrophosphate and bisphosphonates (of which etidronate is a member) are absorbed into crystals in bone, where they attenuate the activity of osteoclasts (the cells that resorb or 'chew up' bone). Etidronate slows down the rate at which minerals are added to bone, but given cyclically as it was in the study, no effect on this process was seen. The cyclical nature of drug administration is an important aspect of etidronate's effectiveness. The beneficial effects of other agents used to treat osteoporosis have leveled off after one to two years, and bone mass has ceased to increase. In one study, the increase in bone mass continued steadily over a three-year period. Thus, osteoclasts may have been inhibited, while bone cells remained active. Follow-up of patients will be essential to determine the effectiveness of this promising agent. Other questions regarding the long-term effects of etidronate on bone; the possibility of better bisphosphonate preparations that do not interfere with mineralization; and the effectiveness of etidronate relative to other agents, such as estrogen and vitamin D3 need to be answered. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Aged, Elderly, Evaluation, Diseases, editorial, Etidronate disodium, Etidronate

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Denosumab in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density

Article Abstract:

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL) is essential for osteoclast differentiation, activation, and survival and the fully human monoclonal antibody denosumab binds RANKL with high affinity and specificity and inhibits RANKL action. In postmenopausal women with low bone mass, denosumab increased bone material density and decreased bone resorption, which suggests that denomusab might be an effective treatment for osteoporosis.

New England States, Health aspects, Bones, Bone density, Postmenopausal women, New England

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