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What's the story with Fosamax?

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What's the story with Fosamax?

Recent reports have women wondering if they should stop taking this widely prescribed osteoporosis drug.

In 1995, the FDA approved alendronate (Fosamax) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, a bone-weakening condition that affects more than eight million women and causes 1.5 million fractures each year in the United States. Fosamax increases bone mineral density and significantly reduces the risk of spine, hip, and wrist fractures in women with osteoporosis and in those with low bone density that doesn't meet the criteria for osteoporosis (a condition called osteopenia).

Fractures are an important cause of disability and death in postmenopausal women. Hip fractures lead to hospitalization and, usually, surgery * and they often result in nursing home care. Only 40% of hip fracture patients ever regain their independence, and nearly 25% die within a year. Vertebral fractures can cause debilitating back pain, and they, too, increase the risk of premature death.

Fosamax belongs to a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, which work by slowing resorption, the breakdown phase of normal bone remodeling. Fosamax is the oldest of these drugs and has been used...

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