A MONTHLY tablet which tackles osteoporosis thinning bones has been launched in the UK.
Doctors believe the convenience of taking Bonviva only 12 times a year will help sufferers stick to their medication and reduce the disability caused by osteoporosis.
Bonviva is one of a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, which build bones in women at risk of osteoporosis after the menopause.
Other drugs are taken daily or weekly and researchers last year found many patients were forgetting or giving up on their treatment.
In the UK, up to 80 per cent of women taking a once-daily bisphosphonate and 60 per cent on once-weekly medication did not manage to take their treatment properly for a year. This may be due to the strict regime patients have to follow when taking bisphosphonates.
They must take the tablet before they eat that day and then stay standing or sitting upright and fasting for an hour.
It is hoped that by reducing the frequency of the regime, women will be less likely to stop treatment.
Osteoporosis causes bones to weaken and fracture easily.
Bonviva reduces the rate of bone breakdown which, when coupled with poor bone-building in older women, means they experience an overall loss of bone.
The treatment has been developed by the drug companies GlaxoSmithKline and Roche.
Dr Mike Stone, a consultant physician at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff, said treatments for osteoporosis could work only if patients continue to take them.
He added: ‘When you consider that patients may be more likely to stay on treatments longer if they have to take them less frequently, you can see immediately what a positive impact a once-monthly treatment could have on people’s lives.’
Dr Louise Dolan, a consultant rheumatologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in South East London, said: ‘A once-amonth treatment option should encourage women to take their treatment regularly.’
Rosemary Shand discovered she had osteoporosis six years ago when she fell and fractured her wrist.
The 56-year-old nurse, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was prescribed a daily bisphosphonate. But she often thought about giving up the medication because it was such a chore.
Mrs Shand had to fast overnight and take a tablet first thing in the morning, then remain upright without eating for an hour.
‘I resented having to take this medication every morning,’ she said.
‘It meant I couldn’t have a cup of tea in the morning, which I wanted, or breakfast and meant I had to go to work hungry.
Having to take a tablet once a day was a chore, it was inconvenient and I had to get up an hour early just to make sure that I took it and remained upright.’
Six months ago, Mrs Shand began taking Bonviva.
‘This medication is a real breakthrough,’ she said. ‘My first thought in the morning is no longer that I have to take medication for osteoporosis.
‘Now I just mark in my diary when every month I have to take the tablet and that’s it.
‘I have so much more freedom and enjoy my life a lot more.’
Women are also being urged to ensure they are getting enough vitamin D to reduce their risk of bone problems.
A campaign launched by the charity Women’s Health Concern warns that even women who are already being treated for osteoporosis may have inadequate levels of the vitamin.
One study has found that 97 per cent of hip fracture patients were suffering from a shortage of vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones.
Karen Winterhalter, executive director of WHC, said the research is ‘very worrying’.
She added: ‘Bone fractures take a terrible toll, especially after the menopause, and many could be prevented with lifestyle measures and proper treatment.
‘Most people already know that calcium is important to protect their bones but fewer are aware of the contribution made by vitamin D to bone health.’
Vitamin D and calcium supplements are a central part of osteoporosis treatment. The vitamin helps the body absorb calcium.
Unlike calcium, vitamin D is not readily available in the diet and the most convenient source is in supplements.
To get the required daily amount of vitamin D from diet alone, an adult would have to eat nine eggs.
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