Another Nail In The Coffin for Bisphosphonate Drugs

A new study in the Archives of Medicine (published online May 21, 2012) destroys the fictional theory of treating osteoporosis with bisphosphonate drugs.  I have been writing and warning about the dangers of bisphosphonate drugs for years.  In my book, Drugs that Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do, I predicted, “…the long-term use of these medications will… lead to the formation of poor quality bone.”  Unfortunately, my prediction has come true.   

Bisphosphonate drugs (Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, and Zometa) were found to significantly increase the risk of atypical bone fractures the longer the drugs were taken.  Shockingly, not only was the risk tremendously increased, it was found to be increased in a linear fashion.   

In fact, the study found those taking bisphosphonate drugs less than two years were 35 times more likely to have an atypical bone fracture.  For patients who took the medications for two to five years, there was a 47 fold increase in atypical fractures.  Women who took the drugs for five to nine years had a 117 fold increase and those that took the prescriptions over nine years were 176 times more likely to suffer an atypical fracture. 

How could this occur?  Aren’t these drugs supposed to make stronger bones?  The answer to these questions becomes easy to answer after studying the mechanism of action of osteoporosis drugs.  These drugs poison a crucial enzyme that is important to the bone remodeling cells--the osteoclasts.  It can easily be predicted that the poisoning of the osteoclasts will disrupt normal bone function and lead to the formation of weak bone.  I explain this in much more detail in my book. 

Folks, this article is a big deal.  I will watch closely how Big Pharma responds to it.  There is more information in this article that is damning to the bisphosphonate drugs.  I will keep you updated in future posts.  

These drugs should be pulled from the market.  Their use has never conclusively been shown to lower fracture risk.  Remember, osteoporosis is not the result of a deficiency of bisphosphonate drugs.  It results from a combination of factors including eating a poor diet as well as nutritional and hormonal imbalances.    A better approach is to use a therapy that treats the underlying cause of osteoporosis.  This includes eating a healthier diet, avoiding antacid medication and balancing the hormonal system with the use of bioidentical, natural hormones.