Researcher
A new study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that nitroglycerine may be effective in strengthening bones and treating osteoporosis.
The study was carried out by scientists at the University of Toronto and the California Pacific Medical Centre Research Institute. They followed 243 postmenopausal women for two years in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The women received either a nitroglycerin ointment or a placebo to paste on their skin at bedtime.
At the end of the 24-month trial, those women who had been given the nitroglycerin ointment had an increase of seven percent in the bone mineral density (BMD) in their hip bones compared to the women who had the placebo ointment. BMD measures the amount of bone quantity you have, and is a good indication of your risk of having a fracture.
"Our findings demonstrate that nitroglycerin ointment, in very low doses, can increase bone density and improve bone geometry," says lead author of the study Sophie A Jamal, MD, PhD of the Women's College Research Institute and University of Toronto. "Nitrates are widely available and inexpensive. As such, these agents might be a promising way to reduce osteoporosis worldwide."
"This is an exciting new treatment that is unlike any other drugs now used for osteoporosis," says Steven R Cummings, MD of the San Francisco Coordinating Centre at the California Pacific Medical Centre Research Institute, and senior author of the study. "While other treatments work by either slowing down the breakdown of bone, or increasing bone formation, nitroglycerin does both at the same time. It’s a unique quality that leads to an apparent increase in bone strength."
"One of the most striking effects was the increase in the thickness of the bone," say Jamal and Cummings. "The nitroglycerin group saw an increase of almost 25 percent in their legs and an increase of 15 percent in their arms, compared to the placebo group. This was unexpected as it’s not something you see with existing therapies." The treatment did cause some side effects. Of the women who enrolled in the study about five percent stopped because of headaches.
The researchers believe that further studies are needed. Dr Claire Bowring, of the National Osteoporosis Society, agrees: "The results are very interesting, especially as the treatment is an ointment, rather than injection or tablets," she says. "However, a larger trial is needed, looking at improvements in bone density for people with osteoporosis and, ultimately, whether broken bones can be avoided. If the results show the same benefits, it could be exciting news."
Osteoporosis
Around three million people in the UK have osteoporosis, and it causes over 230,000 fractures every year. Half of all women and one out of every five men aged over 50 will experience a broken bone and this is mainly because their bones are weak. Our bones keep growing and repair themselves when we’re young, but this slows down and stops as we get older.
By the age of 18 our bones have usually stopped growing but they increase in density until we’re in our late 20s. Then, in our mid 30s, we start to lose bone mineral density. A low BMD means that you are at greater risk of fracturing a bone. Fractures due to osteoporosis are most common in the wrist, hips and spine.
First published February 25, 2011
Useful website
The National Osteoporosis Society - www.nos.org.uk