Active clinical trials for "Osteoporosis"

To develop a decision aid to support the decision to use (or not use) bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporotic fractures, and to assess the impact of the decision aid on start and six month adherence to bisphosphonates.

The primary objective of this study is to compare the urinary excretion of 14C-labeled risedronate and alendronate over 28 days.

The genetic bases of peak bone mass in males, as determinants of an individual's risk of developing osteoporotic fractures in old age and their interaction with dietary and lifestyle factors are still poorly understood. Our objective was to examine the relative contribution of genetic and environmental variables to the regulation of peak bone mass in a population-based cohort of young healthy men, focusing on the BsmI polymorphism of vitamin D receptor (VDR)gene and the AluI polymorphism of calcitonin receptor (CTR)gene.

Subjects with diabetes and pre-diabetes are said to have increased bone loss when compared to the general population. Pioglitazone a thiazolidinedione, is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved oral anti-diabetic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Though there are many benefits for using thiazolidinediones in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, there is data that indicates that rosiglitazone therapy results in a significant decrease in total body bone mineral density in mice. Whether it is true in humans is not clear. If the animal data can be extrapolated to humans, thiazolidinediones may pose a significant risk of adverse effects on bone. This study hypothesizes that treatment with the thiazolidinedione pioglitazone may result in significant reduction in bone mineral density. The aims of this are: 1. to evaluate the effect of pioglitazone on skeletal health; 2. to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine and hip, as well as bone turnover markers, at different times of persons taking thiazolidinediones and others not taking them; 3. to determine the change in BMD and bone turnover markers within different groups at different times; and 4. to compare these changes.

Osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones is a common disorder which can cause significant morbidity in terms of pain and fracture. One of the causes of osteoporosis is a low or absent testosterone level. Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in males with an increasing incidence. The mainstay of advanced prostate cancer treatment is hormonal manipulation (surgery or medications) in order to lower testosterone levels as testosterone stimulates cancer cells. Despite the known links both between osteoporosis, low testosterone, and prostate cancer, little data is available on how common osteoporosis is among men with advanced prostate cancer treated with hormonal manipulation. Since prostate cancer affects so many men and the indications for early hormonal manipulation are expanding, it is important to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in these males.

The etiology and pathogenesis of osteoporosis has been extensively discussed. The relationship between bone blood circulation and the formation of bony trabeculae has been less understood. There is plenty of indirect evidence highly suggestive of the correlation between these two factors, such as: the number of blood vessels in the per unit area of the bone marrow was decreased in the osteoporotic bone, indicating the possible role of a microvascular defect in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Furthermore, the bone mineral density in severe arteriosclerotic patients was lower than in the less affected subjects. In a large scale epidemiologic study, diminished bone mineral density was strongly associated with increased deaths from stroke. Osteopenia was also associated with an increased risk of stroke. These reports highly suggest the effect of ischemia on bone metabolism and make the investigators more interested in further investigation. A dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) study was used recently in evaluating the blood perfusion of bone tumors. This method also has a strong correlation with the microsphere blood flow measurements. The investigator (T.F. Shih) used the dynamic MR in her recent two researches: To differentiate benign versus malignant spinal compression fractures. To evaluate the blood perfusion of non-fractured, normal-appearing vertebral bodies and find its significant correlation with aging and sex. The alterations of bone marrow perfusion are synchronous with the changes of bone mineral density. Thus, based on the investigators' previous research work, they propose to further explore the relationship between bone marrow perfusion and bone mineral density in different age groups.

Calcium is important for healthy bone growth in children. Poor bone growth and development during childhood can lead to osteoporosis later in life. This study will evaluate a nutrition education program designed to increase the amount of calcium children receive. The study will determine whether the program will result in long-term dietary changes and healthier bones in children.

The purpose of this study is to examine socio-cultural factors of women's use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The effects of socioeconomic status, social networks and acculturation on CAM use will be assessed among white, African-, Mexican-, and Chinese-American women.

Hypothesis: Pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, treated with chronic glucocorticoids as a part of the leukemia treatment protocol, will have an increased incidence and severity of osteoporosis.

To determine whether administration of Alendronate early is more effective than late in the prevention of osteoporosis following a hip fracture