Reclast for Osteoporosis

May is Osteoporosis Month, and that means women should take a moment to recognize the signs of the disease. The folks at Reclast remind us that women should take proactive measures if they have postmenopausal osteoporosis.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

• Approximately 8 million American women have osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones such as the hip, spine and wrist to break more easily, resulting in more than 2 million fractures annually
• One in two women over the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her remaining lifetime
• An average of 24 percent of women who experience a hip fracture will die from complications within one year
• Six months after a hip fracture, only 15 percent of women can walk across a room unaided, and one in five who were able to walk on their own prior to the hip fracture will require long-term care afterwards

While these are scary figures, the good news is that there are treatments that can help women manage osteoporosis effectively. One such treatment is a once-yearly therapy called Reclast, which is indicated to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis. Women can go to their doctor and receive one 15-minute intravenous dose of medication a year, rather than needing to remember to take daily, weekly or monthly pills.

However, before you take any drug or participate in any treatment, you should discuss it with your doctor and weigh all the options.

Image: sxc.hu.