Patients taking Reclast will also need to take vitamin D and calcium, they added, and some will experience flu-like symptoms which can be alleviated with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
"This appears to be the most potent of the bisphosphonates. It
reduced bone turnover more and had a significant effect on fracture
rate. The once-a-year dose obviously is attractive," said Dr.
Stephen Honig, director of the Osteoporosis Center at the New York
University Hospital for Joint Diseases. "This combination makes it
potentially a very important drug. The caveat is the potential side
effects. Other studies have found
However, unlike one previous trial, the researchers on this study found no differences in reports of the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation between the two groups. They also found no reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw, a painful jaw condition, which had previously been associated with this class of drugs.
More information
There's more on osteoporosis at the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
