Bisphosphonates: pros and cons

Bisphosphonates are one of the most commonly prescribed drug classes. Their intended purpose is to strengthen bones, and thereby prevent fractures. They are primarily prescribed to postmenopausal women with evidence of bone thinning, either because a bone scan has shown that they have a weak skeleton, or because they’ve experienced a fracture from relatively low energy trauma. Examples of drugs in this class are alendronate, … Read more

Can a “high protein high calcium” diet prevent fractures?

A very interesting study was recently published in the British Medical Journal that looked at the ability of a “high protein high calcium” diet to prevent fractures. Well, I say high protein high calcium – what they were actually testing was what happens if you give frail elderly people (the people at greatest risk of fractures) a diet high in dairy – which doesn’t sound … Read more