Bone Health

Your bone health can affect your overall body, so it is important to be informed. Learn more about the most common bone disorders, such as osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis

Why an Osteoporosis Drug Works

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Raloxifene is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for decreasing fracture risk in osteoporosis. While raloxifene is as effective at reducing fracture risk as other current treatments, the medication works only partially by suppressing bone loss. With the use of wide- and small-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS, respectively), researchers carried out experiments at the U.S.

Osteoporosis

Surgery to Repair Hip Fracture Saves Billions of $

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Each year, more than 300,000 Americans -- primarily adults over age 65 -- sustain a hip fracture, a debilitating injury that can diminish life quality and expectancy and result in lost work days and substantial, long-term financial costs to patients, families, insurers and government agencies. Surgery, which is the primary treatment for hip fractures, successfully reduces mortality risk and improves physical function. However, little has been known about the procedure's value and return on investment.

Osteoarthritis

Knee Surgery No Help for Mild OA

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A new study indicates that there is no apparent benefit to arthroscopic knee surgery for age-related tears of the meniscus in comparison with nonsurgical or sham treatments. The study, published August 25th 2014 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), provides evidence that middle-aged or older patients with mild or no osteoarthritis of the knee may not benefit from the procedure.

Osteoporosis

Oxidative Stress Predicts Hip Fracture

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Oxidative stress -- a disruption in the balance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants -- is a significant predictor for hip fracture in postmenopausal women, according to research led by University of Cincinnati epidemiologists and published online ahead of print in August 2014 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Osteoporosis

Progress in Preventing Osteoporosis

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Researchers are progressing in the development of a more effective treatment of osteoporosis, a widespread and serious health problem in the U.S.The investigators, from the UCLA School of Dentistry, are working on a treatment that both slows down the destruction of bone and promotes bone formation.The researchers found that a growth factor, Wnt4, which is secreted in the bone marrow, prevented bone loss in mice with osteoporosis. Wnt4 does that by blocking a signaling pattern that would otherwise promote inflammation.

Osteoarthritis

Newfound Cause of Osteoarthritis

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A mechanism of joint destruction caused by a natural material that grinds away healthy cartilage and worsens osteoarthritis has been identified in human hip joints for the first time by University of Liverpool scientists in the UK.The scientists, with Professor Alan Boyde and colleagues from Queen Mary University of London, were studying the hip of a man with a rare genetic condition, alkaptonuria (AKU). This is a metabolic disease in which a substance called homogentisic acid accumulates in joint cartilage, causing changes to its physical properties.

Osteoarthritis

Omega-3 Lessens Severity of Osteoarthritis

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Mice consuming a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids had healthier joints than those fed diets high in saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids, according to Duke Medicine researchers. The findings, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases on July 11th 2014, suggest that unhealthy dietary fats – not just obesity – may contribute to worsening osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis

6,000 Steps a Day Helps Ease OA

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Research done at from Sargent College at Boston University in Massachusetts shows that walking just 6,000 steps a day reduces the risk of developing mobility issues such as difficulty getting up from a chair and climbing stairs that are often associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The typical recommendation I 10,000 steps – about five miles -- a day but BU team found that fewer steps will do the trick. The study, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, was published in June 2014 in in Arthritis Care & Research.

Osteoporosis

Do You Really Need Vitamin D Supplements?

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You may have heard that researchers who analyzed hundreds of studies have concluded that vitamin D supplements won’t protect healthy, middle-aged adults from osteoporosis. And even worse, the scientists say the supplements may increase the risk of death from other diseases. However, none health experts at the Cleveland Clinic warn that you need to make sure you aren’t deficient in vitamin D before you stop taking the supplement, especially if you are past menopause.

Osteoporosis

Calcium Supplements Don’t Up Heart Risk for Women

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Previous studies have suggested that calcium supplements, which many women take to prevent osteoporosis, may increase risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the data has been inconsistent. A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) did not find that calcium supplement intake increases risk of cardiovascular disease in women. The article was published online in May 2014 in Osteoporosis International.

Osteoporosis

Fracture Risk Tool Is Flawed

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If you’re between the ages of 40 and 65, or if you’ve ever broken a single bone, the World Health Organization's tool for assessing the likelihood of breaks would underestimate your risk of “fragility fractures” resulting from falls. That is the conclusion of a study done at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada  and published in April 2014 published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

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