Which medications are most commonly used for osteoporosis treatment?
Bisphosphonates are — by far — the most common medications prescribed for osteoporosis treatment. Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva are just a few examples from this family of medications.
Hormones, such as estrogen, and some hormone-like medications approved for preventing and treating osteoporosis, such as raloxifene (Evista), also play a role in osteoporosis treatment. But fewer and fewer women are receiving these medications for osteoporosis treatment because the bisphosphonates are so effective.
Osteoporosis treatment medications.Doctors, in general, feel comfortable prescribing bisphosphonates for osteoporosis treatment. Fosamax — a commonly prescribed bisphosphonate — has been on the market for about 10 years, so there’s proven experience with safety. And bisphosphonates really don’t affect anything but the bone. Hormones, on the other hand, raise some concerns about what effects they’ll have on other parts of the body, such as the breast or circulation. With bisphosphonates, doctors have fewer concerns about side effects or medication interactions. These medications tend to be well tolerated, for the most part, by the women who take them.
Concerned about Osteoporosis and how to treat it?
The Women’s Health Initiative in 2007 conducted a study that was abruptly halted when it concluded that women taking the combination estrogen-progestin (Prempro) had an increased risk of developing several serious health problems. According to the study, over one year, 10,000 women taking estrogen plus progestin compared with a placebo might experience:
- Seven more cases of heart disease
- Eight more cases of breast cancer
- Eight more cases of stroke
- 18 more cases of blood clots
Alternative or natural therapies are now the overwhelming choice for most women. There is still a tremendous resentment expressed by doctors, but women are voting with their feet and finding new doctors that support their choice.
Low testosterone Promotes Diabetes?
A new study says that Diabetes Type 1 has been linked to Low testosterone levels. The study
was limited to men but we suppose that it will apply to women as well.
Almost six hundres men with type 2 diabetes and 69 men with type 1 diabetes were included in the study. Another set of men (262) with type 2 diabetes was then reassessed after six months. Blood samples were studied to check testosterone levels. Many now believe that saliva should be checked for levels of free testosterone.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, also confirmed reduced testosterone levels in men with type 2 diabetes.
