does Forteo make sense? - Osteoporosis Message Board

snowflake11 · 04-15-2007, 02:00 PM

I just came across this statement: Hyperparathyroidism poses a long-term threat to your bones — the more parathyroid hormone your parathyroid glands produce, the more calcium your bones lose. The result is weak, brittle bones that are prone to fractures.

So then I ask all you wiser than me folks - why does taking Forteo (adding extra PTH to our body) make sense to help reverse osteoporosis? Wouldn't you think we would need to suppress PTH?

PikaB · 04-15-2007, 04:58 PM

There is a big difference in your body between continuous high levels of PTH or intermittent PTH (such as Forteo). These are some of the technical explanations:

Intermittent spikes of PTH, such as given by daily injection, will cause more increase in bone formation than in bone resorption...Furthermore, micro-array analysis has shown that different genes are expressed in bone cells that have been exposed to continuous PTH than those expressed after intermittent PTH...Intermittent PTH suppresses apoptosis of the osteoblasts which is one reason there is a high bone formation rate. On the other hand, continuous PTH will increase the apoptosis.

You might want to browse the article: "Parathyroid Hormone and Teriparatide for the Treatment of Osteoporosis: A Review of the Evidence and Suggested Guidelines for Its Use".

snowflake11 · 04-15-2007, 05:29 PM

thanks for answering my question - it's all so weird how they figure out how medicines work. so should i take my calcum and d at the same time i take the injection to catch the spike, or doesn't it matter?

taape · 04-15-2007, 06:09 PM

The Forteo helps to keep the calcium level regulated evenly and high enough (not too high) throughout 24 hours so that bones grow. I can't explain how or why.

Olivette · 05-12-2007, 09:42 PM

If the bone loss is being caused by a parathyroid adenoma, then Forteo will not improve your bones until the adenoma is removed.
You can find a good explanation at this site on parathyroids.
[url]http://www.parathyroid.com/osteoporosis.htm[/url]