It's one of the most frustrating health challenges among the elderly, broken hips.
An estimated 300,000 hip fractures happen every year.
Most among seniors who have osteoporosis and are likely to break another bone in the near future if they survive recovery.
But a new treatment strategy may help change that fate.
It's a birthday Jean Brown will never forget.
Jean Brown, who has osteoporosis, says "somebody hollered to me and said have a great day and I turned around real quickly went down, and that was it that was my birthday present!."
A fall that landed Jean in the hospital with a broken hip. A serious injury that often comes with deadly consequences, says Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Wael Barsoum.
Dr. Barsoum says "5% of those patients will die within thirty days of that particular fracture that's a fairly significant number."
And patients, like Jean Brown, who recover are at high risk for another break. Jean landed n a trial to test a new medicine zoledronic acid.
It is in the same class as drugs like fosomax but given only once a year by IV. The latest research out of Duke University suggests the drug significantly reduces the risk of a second hip fracture and of death.
Dr. Barsoum says "the reason they were less likely to die isn't because it improved generalized health it's because they were less likely to have another fracture and we less likely to be immobilized."
Jean did take a second fall but this time she got back up and kept on walking.
Jean says "it gives you a sense of security. I really don't worry about anymore."
Secure enough to take up traveling.
Jean says "we went on a hot air balloon ride. It took two men to get me in the basket but we had a ball.
The once a year, 15 minute IV treatment was approved by the FDAlast month and is being marketed under the name Reclast. Earlier studies by the drug maker Novartis suggest reclast also helps prevent spine fractures.
The most common side effects reported were muscle, joint or bone pain and flu-like symptoms. There have also been concerns about heart problems, but the drug's maker, Novartis, says recent clinical trials have not showed a risk of heart trouble.
"It is in the same class as drugs like fosomax but given only once a year by IV. The latest research out of Duke University suggests the drug significantly reduces the risk of a second hip fracture and of death. "
Fosamax has merely been called the next Vioxx . . .
"The most common side effects reported were muscle, joint or bone pain and flu-like symptoms. There have also been concerns about heart problems, but the drug's maker, Novartis, says recent clinical trials have not showed a risk of heart trouble."
And we know we can trust the drug maker and their funded clinical trial results?
Yeah - my aunt took Fosamax and had bone pain alright. Pain so bad she could hardly stand up and every step and movement was pain-filled until she stopped taking Fosamax after I sent her information about it's side effects. She's one of the lucky ones.
thanks, i was hoping you or chris would look that up for me. I just called my parents to make sure my dad is not being given any of this crap. he has had 2 hip surgeries and those drs will push their drugs. luckily, my mom says he isn't taking anything, just some vitamins and stuff like that. he has surgery tomorrow for kidney stones. he always gets them and i don't know why. the drs always give him some crazy diet saying no vitamin C and no green beans and no chocolate, can't recall the rest, but the no vitamins C always makes me mad.
After reading the fosamax side effects,i got my mom on Osteo-vi-min an esssential mineral mix featuring strontium(no, not the bad strontium 90 isotope). Her tests show significant improvement(her md. is visibly dissappointed).ALSO ,she has had no more kidney stone bouts.We had been dissolving them with lemon juice-6 ozs. at once and then 2oz in 12 oz water 5x day,but i am told the strntium helps to bind the calcium in the bones,a good thing on many levels.Osteo also has lycopene, found to inhibit osteoclast & stimulate osteoblasts or the other way around-whichever way is good for you,(blast? clast?)I probably could come up with the study footnotes if i had to.
The Drug companies should make a load of cash off this one! Old people don't have that much money but thanks to Bush's socialist prescription drug plan for the elderly, it won't matter. Not one lousy dime for effective alternative treatments though.
Well, they won't have to pay the Social Security for them old people much longer after getting them on these new prescription drugs. Thank god because they've stolen all that money long ago. And by the time the public realizes how dangerous they are,they'll have the next new drug.
another fine example of give and take. we give, they take. myself, i am pretty amazed that a large group of humans settle for being blindly led by a small group of elite with government backing. they tell us this so-called demoracy and capitalism we have are the greatest thing since sliced bread. i say it promotes greed and deception.
They got their lackeys to leave the drug on the market long enough to reap billions in profits and gambled that they would come out ahead by challenging each death claim in court.
Next up for them, Fosamax and Avandia. And let's not forget the Gardasil mercury cocktail vaccines they want to forcibly innoculate our school girls and boys with.
If you want to have better bones, don't follow that stuff! These are the best articles I've read about those drugs and alternatives. The first link is rather funny and educational.
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New drug may help prevent future bone breaks for the elderly 
