One of the most common predicaments among aging women is osteoporosis or loss of bone density in their hips and spine leading to frailty and deformities. There are many ways to prevent it from happening like taking calcium supplements or regular exerise.
Unfortunately, once the condition has already developed full-blown, there are smaller chances of recovery. However, a new bone-building drug has been found to restore bone density among frail and elderly patients.
With just a single intravenous dose of zoledronic acid, an osteoporosis and bone-building drug, could significantly improve bone density in older women. In the study published in The Jama Network Journals, researchers found out that this drug could help older women in terms of restoring bone density even at their age, reports HNGN.
The study involved women who were 65 years and older and others who had cognitive impairment. One group was given a single five milligram dose of zoledronic acid and the other group received placebo.
"Two surprising findings emerged," said study author Dr. Susan Greenspan, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. "The drug improved bone strength in the very old and frail as well as it did in younger and more robust seniors, but there was no association between increasing bone density and reducing fractures," she told WebMD.
Hip and spine mineral density were measured by one year and two years after the start of the study. Both groups received supplementation of calcium and Vitamin D. Findings show that those who received the single dose of the medicine had more total hip and spine BMD.
The study concluded, "In summary, we found that a single infusion of zoledronic acid in frail, cognitively challenged, less mobile elderly women improved bone density and reduced bone turnover for two years."
