OSTEOPOROSIS CENTER

OSTEOPOROSIS CENTER
The Bisphosphonates
The bisphosphonates are a family of drugs used to prevent or treat osteoporosis in postmenpausal women. The are also used to treat men in certain cases. These medications are often the first choice of doctors and patients alike. This is because they reduce hip, wirst, and spinal fractures, and when they are taken properly they have few side effects. These strributes have made biphosphonates an attractive alternative to hormone therapy, which was once widely used for stemming bone loss but has fallen out of favor. The bisphosphonates typically prescribed for osteoporosis are Alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel). The FDA has also approved a newer medication called iabandronate (Boniva) for use in treating osteoporosis, but this drug isn't yet available as of the printing of this publication.
Like most of the medications approved for treating osteoporosis, bisphosphonates are antiresorptive, meaning that they reduce bone resorption or turnover. They slow bone loss and produce modest increases in bone density. Specifically, the bisphosphonates bind themselves to hydroxyapatite (the cement-like substance in bones) and interfere with bone-depleting osteoclasts, narrowing the gap between osteoclast activity and ostesoblast activity. As a result, osteoblsasts (which build bone) have an opportunity to fill in more of the tunnels left by osteoclasts.
The bisphosphonates don't seem to interact with other medications and are usually well tolerated. They can be hard to digest and may cause nausea, heartburn, or irritation of the stomach or esophagus, but these problems can be alleviated if the medications are taken properly. Another advantage to these medications is that they are available in weekly as well as daily dosages; taking weekly doses may further side effects.