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Fosamax (generic name, alendronate
sodium) is a drug commonly prescribed to treat
osteoporosis in
post-menopausal women. Now, a new study presented at the 6th International Symposium on Clinical
Disorders of Bone and Mineral Metabolism reveals that taking a 70
milligram (mg) tablet of Fosamax once a week is as effective in
increasing
bone mineral
density as
the standard dosage—one 10 mg tablet each day (70 mg per week).
Since Fosamax is not effective when taken with food or if patients
lie down within a half-hour of taking the drug, researchers believe
a once-weekly regimen will greatly increase the convenience of
treating osteoporosis in many women.
The one-year study included 1258 post-menopausal women
between the ages of 40 and 90 who had osteoporosis, a degenerative
bone disease. At the end of the study, increases in bone mineral
density measured at the spine, hip, and total body were similar
between women who took 10 mg of Fosamax daily and those who took 70
mg once a week. At the hip, the average increase in bone mineral
density was 3.1% for women who took Fosamax daily compared with 2.9%
who took the drug weekly. Side effects of Fosamax were similar in
patients on both regimens.
Like all drugs, the side effects of Fosamax vary from patient
to patient. The most common effects are mild abdominal pain,
constipation, diarrhea or indigestion, muscle and bone pain, and
nausea. Fosamax should not be taken by women with severe stomach or
digestive problems, disorders of the esophagus, kidney disease, or
women who are pregnant or nursing. Because food interferes with the
body’s absorption of Fosamax, the drug must be taken on an empty
stomach with at least six ounces of plain water.
Fosamax helps treat osteoporosis by reducing the activity of
cells that cause bone loss, (osteoclasts), decreasing the rate of
bone loss after menopause, and increasing the overall amount of bone
in most patients. Fosamax is currently the only osteoporosis drug
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that reduces
the frequency of spine and hip fractures. The FDA approved Fosamax
(10 mg daily) in 1995 for the treatment of osteoporosis in
post-menopausal women and for the treatment of Paget’s disease of
the bone. In 1997, Fosamax (5 mg daily) was FDA approved to prevent
osteoporosis in post-menopausal women at
high risk for the disease.
Fosamax is non-hormonal drug that has been studied in more
that 17,000 patients in several clinical trials. The drug is
commonly prescribed to treat osteoporosis in women who do not
respond well to treatment with
hormone replacement
therapy
(HRT). Researchers believe the once-weekly regimen of Fosamax
will provide a more convenient treatment of osteoporosis for women
who have busy schedules or who must take multiple medications.
Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that primarily
affects post-menopausal women. It is estimated that one-third of
women over age 50 have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects roughly 25
million Americans and is currently one of the most under-diagnosed
and under-treated disorders in medicine.
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