New Osteoporosis Treatment Safer, More Effective

New York researchers have discovered a new way to potentially treat or prevent osteoporosis. This news is particularly encouraging to patients such as myself who have osteopenia or osteoporosis and who cannot tolerate standard osteoporosis drugs.

Scientists from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine believe that a polyclonal antipeptide antibody that can block follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) could provide a superior means of arresting or even preventing the bone disease, according to Medical News Today.

Osteoporosis is a medical term for "porous bone." It affects 55 percent of individuals at least 50 years old in the United States, the National Osteoporosis Foundation reports. Around 80 percent of patients are women. The bones of individuals with the disease weaken and sometimes break from even a simple action like sneezing. Patients experience no signs of the disorder in its early stages.

Individuals who have bone mineral density below the normal range but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis are said to suffer from osteopenia, which usually begins in middle age, according to WebMD. The disorder is sometimes due to metabolic or other medical problems rather than age and is considered a pre-osteoporosis condition.

Risk factors include having a family history of osteoporosis, being thin, having limited physical activity, being Caucasian or Asian, smoking, drinking colas, and consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. The treatment for osteopenia -- calcium, Vitamin D, and exercise -- also prevents osteoporosis, the Mayo Clinic says.

The Mount Sinai researchers used a mouse model in their study. Injecting a polyclonal antipeptide antibody helped bone regenerate by both building it and slowing its destruction. The scientists contend that a monoclonal human antibody would be safer than conventional osteoporosis treatments because it doesn't remain in bone.

The study looked for ways to block FSH, which acts as a catalyst for bone loss and can inhibit bone formation. FSH levels rise early in menopause. While the researchers think their discovery provides a possible treatment for osteoporosis that's better than current medications, their ultimate goal was finding a way to prevent the disease. They believe that a human monoclonal antibody to FSH could accomplish this.

Because of years of taking corticosteroids to control the symptoms of Crohn's disease and poor Vitamin D absorption, I developed osteopenia at an early age. The standard steps of increasing calcium, Vitamin D, and exercise have not stopped its progression, and bone density scans suggest I am close to having osteoporosis.

Like many individuals with digestive disorders, I will not be able to take the standard oral osteoporosis medications: Fosamax, Actonel, Atelvia, Boniva, Reclast, and Zometa. We are waiting for the development of a medication or a protocol that we will be able to tolerate. The Mount Sinai research offers the possibility of a new treatment that would help us and be effective in actually preventing osteoporosis in others.

Vonda J. Sines has published thousands of print and online health and medical articles. She specializes in diseases and other conditions that affect the quality of life.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/osteoporosis-treatment-safer-more-effective-155400676.html

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