Articles related to BONE HEALTH

The VITAL trial enrolled more than 25,000 men and women over age 50. Supplemental vitamin D showed no significant benefit vs. placebo in preventing the common fractures of osteoporosis.

The knee arthritis meta-analysis reviewed 169 trials involving 21,163 patients, with the evidence demonstrating viscosupplementation is associated with a clinically irrelevant reduction in pain intensity and with an increased risk of serious adverse events compared with placebo. For the meniscus study, the commentary may sum it up best: “Multiple studies, including several with sham surgeries as a control have shown repeatedly over the previous 2 decades that surgery is not superior to physical therapy, yet the issue and use of surgery persist.”

The authors analyzed the outcome of 349 patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis undergoing reduced intensity transplantation, of whom 35 had accelerated-phase myelofibrosis. After a median follow-up of 5.9 years, estimated 5-year overall survival was between the two groups, and median overall survival was not reached. In terms of relapse, five-year incidence was 30% for the accelerated-phase group versus 15% for the chronic-phase group. Reduced intensity transplantation showed excellent survival but higher relapse for accelerated-phase myelofibrosis.

A new study has found that people with osteoporosis may experience less protection and be subject to more bone fractures when treated with the drug risedronate. Patients who were treated with risedronate during a drug holiday experienced more hip and other fractures than patients given other medications. Drug holidays are recommended after three to five years on therapy for most people taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. Risedronate, with its shorter half-life compared with alendronate, is associated with a somewhat higher risk of hip fracture during a drug holiday.