Postmenopausal osteoporosis causes many women over 50 to break a bone at some point in their lives. Even if several medications are used to prevent theBone loss approved for treatmenttheir use is usually limited to older people. However, most of them have already suffered a fracture. Their bones are also so weakened that they are at extremely high risk of fractures. Now researchers have identified a common drug that they could use as a potential therapeutic agent for age-related bone metabolic diseases like this one.
Promising therapy against postmenopausal osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a common and serious disease that is becoming increasingly common worldwide as populations age. It is therefore crucial to prevent fractures as they can lead to disability and even early death. One such promising drug candidate is currently in the testing phase. It's about an inexpensive beta blocker called atenolol, which is also suitable for lowering high blood pressure. The choice of atenolol stems from research that first established a link between bone loss in mice and increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, the recent human study shows that taking atenolol for five months attenuates this activity. The researchers found that this also applies to thehave a positive effect on age-related bone losscould.
The new phase 3 study by the authors of this research should now be able to determine whether taking atenolol for two years is effective against postmenopausal osteoporosis in women. Accordingly, its effect should be safe for the health of patients. If this is the case, the beta-blocker atenolol could address a critical clinical need. The study authors would thus be able to open up an important way in which they could effectively treat such disorders of bone metabolism. In addition, the inthis studytested therapeutic approach can prevent many fractures and significantly reduce the possible healthcare costs associated with osteoporosis.
