Wednesday, April 7, 2010 as of 11:14 AM ET
Alendronic acid (INN) or alendronate sodium (USAN) — sold as Fosamax by Merck — is a bisphosphonate drug used for osteoporosis and several other bone diseases.
Read More at Wikipedia ›Widely used osteoporosis drugs such as Fosamax and Actonel significantly raise the risk for a rare but serious thigh fracture and that risk rises the longer patients take the medicines, a new study found.
Some women 50 and older have been taking the drugs for years to prevent common hip, spine and wrist fractures caused by the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis.Yet a small number of these patients have broken their legs by simply stepping off a curb, raising questions about whether the osteoporosis treatments were responsible.The new study, published online Monday by the Archives of Internal Medicine, said it found such a link between the drugs and so-called atypical thigh fractures.Researchers noted that studies support the overall benefits of these osteoporosis medicines to prevent fractures, and that this type of break is very rare.But they said the new findings add to evidence suggesting patients should reconsider taking the drugs after three to five years of use.The drugs belong t...Many women who get screened for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis may not actually need such testing, a new study suggests.A number of expert guidelines say tha...
As a doctor, I receive questions every day varying from heart health to infertility. Today, I received a question from a woman who wanted to know how to prevent oste...
A new study adds to evidence that bone drugs may play a role in suppressing cancer development, although there is still no proof that taking the medications would st...
Eli Lilly and Co's osteoporosis drug Forteo can regrow bone in jaws damaged by severe bone-destroying conditions called osteonecrosis and periodontitis, doctors repo...
Government health officials warned doctors and patients Wednesday about an increased risk of thigh bone fractures with a widely-used group of bone-strengthening drug...
LONDON (AP) — People who take bone-strengthening drugs for several years may have a slightly higher risk of esophageal cancer , a new study suggests.The findings are...
One of the most promising new approaches for fighting breast cancer took a stunning setback Thursday when a major study showed that a bone-building drug did not stop...
Women taking certain bone drugs after menopause appear less likely to develop colon cancer , Israeli and U.S. researchers said.The finding has them excited about the...
People who take a commonly used class of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates for more than five years may be doubling their risk of developing cancer of the gu...
Under a new set of guidelines proposed by an influential U.S. panel, more women would be eligible for bone density tests to detect the bone-thinning disease osteopor...
Women who take bone drugs for several years have a slightly increased chance of suffering an unusual type of thigh fracture, according to a large Canadian study.The ...
Warnings for two popular prescription drugs used by millions of Americans to treat osteoporosis and diabetes
Drs. Siegel and Samadi explain
A new study gives reassuring news about the safety of Fosamax and Reclast, bone-building drugs taken by millions of American women. It found that long-term use does ...
How long should a woman take the osteoporosis drug Fosamax ?
No matter what your age, here's how to make sure you're in good health. 1. AudiogramWhy you need it: To find out if you are one of the more than 28 million Americans...
Wireless chip delivers bone drug
Doctors were mostly hoping to prevent complications and relapses when they gave young women a medicine to keep their bones strong during breast cancer treatment. Sev...
Health advisers are considering a time limit for taking a class of drugs used by millions of women to prevent bone fractures, due to concerns over unusual fractures ...
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