Gummies For Grammies

Recently I had a patient whose spine had lost 10% of its Bone Mineral Density (BMD) since her last DXA.  She has lost height in the last year.  She has...

Better Patient Education

How can we make Bone Health patient education more effective?  An entire office visit only about bone health / osteoporosis prevention and treatment, is an effective start.  This I have done...

Interesting Medication Combinations from ASBMR

Studies of combinations of osteoporosis medications expanded at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2012.  Previous meetings featured alternating the anabolic, Teriparatide (Forteo) with a Bisphosphonate Antiresorptive, usually...

Pictures Tell How Osteoporosis Medications Work

Dr David Dempster presented spectacular pictures to the 2012 meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).  They show clearly the different actions of the anabolic, Teriparatide...

ASBMR 2012

I am attending the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2012 annual meeting.  This is actually a major international meeting with about half of the presentations from Asia and...

Prolia Is Now For Men Too!

The FDA has approved Prolia for men with osteoporosis, who are “at high risk for fracture”.  This affects a sizeable number of men.  High fracture risk includes men with crumbling...

Bone Mineral Density = Calcium in Bone

I recently saw a patient who has not improved her Bone Mineral Density despite 2 years of Forteo followed by 3 years of Reclast.  The good news is that she stopped...

TANSTAAFL

There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.  As true now as when Robert Heinlein shortened it to TANSTAAFL. Every medication has benefits and risks.  Every decision to not...

Different Doses – Different Names

We have talked about Reclast and Prolia, two meds for osteoporosis.  We have not talked about Zometa and Xgeva, two meds for prevention and treatment of cancer spreading to bone...

Medication Alone is Not Enough

I see many patients who have failed to improve on osteoporosis medications.  The vast majority of those patients are not getting enough Calcium and Vitamin D to succeed. Osteoporosis medication...