Osteoporosis Drug May Cause Heart Problems

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Any bone can be affected, but fractures of the hip and spine are of special concern as they can have serious consequences. A hip fracture usually requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person’s ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability. Spinal or vertebral fracture can cause severe back pain, loss of height and deformity. One class of drugs used to treat osteoporosis is the bisphosphonates, which increases mass to deteriorating bones and reduces the risk of future fractures caused by aging, estrogen deficiency and corticosteroid use. This class of medications includes alendronate (Fosamax), zoledronic acid (Reclast), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel), and others. Although effective, these medications can cause side effects, such as heartburn, abdominal pain, irritation of the esophagus, constipation, and diarrhea. But of more concern are rare side effects which include serious problems with bone healing, particularly after dental surgery, unusual bone fractures, severe or incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain and most recently—atrial fibrillation (AF), or irregular heartbeat.

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Adoption of New Standardized Nutrition Labels

To help Americans make smarter choices when it comes to nutrition and improve the health of the public, a divers group of health organizations, scientists, food and beverage manufacturers, academicians, and retailers have created a new, voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labeling system that they called the Smart Choice Program™.

This Smart Choice Program was motivated by the need for a single, reliable, and trusted front-of-pack nutrition labeling program that U.S. retailers and food manufacturers could adopt voluntarily to help the consumers make nutritious beverage and food choices that fit within their daily calorie needs. The program was developed under the leadership of The Keystone Center, which is a non-profit organization  specializing in creating consensus solutions to correct public health problems. The Smart Choices Program includes a symbol that indentifies choices that are more nutritious within specific product categories and provides information about calories that identifies calories per serving and number of servings per container on front-of-pack, with the intent of helping people stay within their daily calorie needs.

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