Bone

Teriparatide has been shown to reduce microdamage accumulation in the iliac crest of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis previously treated with alendronate in a study by Dobnig et al. No change in microdamage accumulation occurred in patients who were treatment-naïve before the study. Animal models have previously indicated that microdamage accumulation occurs as a result of bisphosphonate-mediated suppression of bone turnover.

Dobnig, H. et al. Teriparatide reduces bone microdamage accumulation in postmenopausal women previously treated with alendronate. J.Bone Miner. Res. doi:10.1359/jbmr.090527

Obesity

Obese or underweight women are more likely to have recurrent miscarriages than women with a normal BMI, Metwally and colleagues report. No increase in the risk of subsequent miscarriage was noted for overweight women. Advanced maternal age is, however, a more important factor than BMI for predicting the occurrence of miscarriage.

Metwally, M. et al. Body mass index and risk of miscarriage in women with recurrent miscarriage. Fertil. Steril. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.03.021

Diabetes

Ziegler et al. have found that Actovegin® [Nycomed Austria] is a promising agent for the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Compared with placebo, Actovegin treatment was associated with notable improvements in neuropathic symptoms as assessed by Total Symptom Score, vibration perception threshold, sensory function, and quality of life, with no differences in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups.

Ziegler, D. et al. Treatment of symptomatic polyneuropathy with actovegin in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care 32, 1479–1484 (2009).

Bone

The bisphosphonate zoledronic acid increases BMD and reduces bone modeling and turnover in children with avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Johannesen and coworkers investigated the efficacy of zoledronic acid therapy (for at least 12 months) in 20 children with slipped capital femoral epiphysis and 17 children with Legg–Calve–Perthes disease. The increases in BMD were most pronounced in individuals with Legg–Calve–Perthes disease.

Johannesen, J. et al. Systemic effects of zoledronic acid in children with traumatic femoral head avascular necrosis and LeggCalve–Perthes disease. Bone doi:10.1016/j.bone.2009.04.255