Study suggests cellphone radiation weakens bone

Men who wear their cellphones on a belt for many years may have decreased bone density in the pelvic area, according to a new study.

The operative word here is "may." Dozens of cellphone safety studies have suggested that long-term use may expose people to high enough levels of radio frequency energy to cause such health problems as cancerous and benign brain tumors and behavior problems in children. The new study on bone weakening is hardly convincing. Researchers in Turkey examined the bone density in the upper rims of the pelvis of 150 men who carried their cellphones on a belt. The men carried their phones for an average of 15 hours a day for an average of six years.

Bone density was compared on the side where the men wore their phones and on the opposite side. The study showed a slight reduction in bone density on the side where the men carried the phones. The difference was not statistically significant, however -- meaning it could be due to chance. But the researchers pointed out that the men were fairly young and that further bone weakening might occur over time. The study was published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

Studies that link cellphone use to health problems have not been conclusive. However, at some point, one has to wonder if it's prudent to make some modest changes to reduce the potential risk. For example, some experts suggest using a headset in order to keep the phone away from the head and not wearing a cellphone on a belt or in a pocket that is in contact with the body. Pregnant women, for example, are urged to keep their phones away from their abdomens. Perhaps young children, whose brains are still developing, should not use a cellphone on a regular basis.

More safety studies on cellphones are forthcoming, and manufacturers are working on lowering the levels of radiation emitted by phones. But, until then, taking precautions to keep phones a bit of a distance from the body may be sensible for heavy cellphone users. 

-- Shari Roan

Photo: A cellphone holder is shaped like a holster for a gun. Credit: Tony Maben  /  AP

Breastfeeding moms: Want lovely bones? Do some exercise

Breastfeeding mothers do a lot for their babies, but the process of breastfeeding can shortchange moms when it comes to bone mineral density.

During pregnancy and lactation a woman's body can show bone mineral loss even greater than what the average woman experiences after menopause. While bone mineral density usually returns to normal levels when lactation stops, it doesn't return to pre-pregnancy levels in all women.

But exercise, according to a new study, may help shore up that bone loss. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro recruited 20 breastfeeding women, randomly assigning half to an exercise intervention group, and half to a control group that did no exercise. Neither group changed their diet.

The 16-week exercise program consisted of aerobic activity three days a week (brisk walking) and resistance training three days a week that emphasized increasing core strength. Individual exercises included squats, bench presses, push-ups, abdominal planks and dead lifts and were done at home with handheld weights and a stability ball. Since all study participants were sedentary at the beginning of the study, time and intensity of the exercises increased gradually.

All that exercise paid off--the workout group showed significantly less bone mineral density losses in the lumbar spine compared with the control group. The intervention group also showed greater muscular strength and improved endurance over the control group. That group also lost substantially less lean body mass than the control.

The study concluded: "Additional research is needed to determine whether these beneficial effects of exercise continue after weaning, resulting in higher [bone mineral density] and decreasing the risk of osteoporosis in later life."

The study appears in the October issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Barbara Peacock/CORBIS

'Dowager's hump' may bode early death

Technically, it's called hyperkyphosis; untechnically, it's called dowager's hump.

Whatever you call the condition -- an excessive forward curve of the upper spine often seen in elderly women -- it appears to be connected to a higher rate of earlier death in those who also have vertebral fractures.

In a study published in the May 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at UCLA found that the greater the curvature, the higher the risk of death within the study period. This held true regardless of age, the problems caused by the basic spinal osteoporosis or the severity of the  fractures.

Here's the release from UCLA;

the abstract from the journal;

basic information about the condition from osteopenia3.com;

and a blog, Dowagers Humps, that though not especially active, does appear to target folks looking for practical solutions and support.

As for what women can do to improve their quality of life, a small unrelated pilot study, also from UCLA and published in the American Journal of Public Health a couple of years ago, found that yoga might help produce better posture in women with hyperkyphosis.

Those researchers said such improvements could have included "increased strength and flexibility (attested to by improvements in physical function measures) and heightened attention to alignment (as reflected in women’s diary entries)."

Photo: Yoga seems unlikely to hurt, and it might provide some benefits.

Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

 

Study links osteoporosis and vertigo

People with osteoporosis are more likely to have vertigo, researchers have found. A study published today in the journal Neurology suggests that a problem with calcium metabolism may be an underlying cause of vertigo.

Vertigo is an inner ear disorder that causes dizziness. It may be caused by loose calcium carbonate crystals that move around in the inner ear. The study, conducted by researchers from Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea, examined 209 people with vertigo that had no obvious cause, such as a head trauma or ear disorder. Those people were compared to 202 people with no history of dizziness. The study found that people with osteoporosis were three times more likely to have vertigo. People with osteopenia, an early stage of osteoporosis, were twice as likely to have vertigo. The relationship was found in both women and men.

Since women often experience their first bout of vertigo in their 50s, which is also when the loss of bone mass is most noticeable, experts speculate that declining levels of estrogen may be involved. However there is no obvious role for estrogen in vertigo. Moreover, the study found the association between osteoporosis and vertigo in men too, which means factors other than estrogen probably play a role.

More information on vertigo can be found at the American Academy of Neurology website.

-- Shari Roan

Hold on a minute, Bayer...

Two new Bayer products, both containing good ol' aspirin plus a nifty supplement, beckon consumers with suggestions that they can reduce the risk of heart disease. One of them also says it can help fight osteoporosis.

Such products, and the claims about them, appear to have gone too far. The Food and Drug Administration politely pointed out today that the one-tablet combos amount to new drugs and, as such, require the agency's approval before they can be sold or marketed in such a way. That approval has not been granted.

So what the agency has granted is warning letters, posted online, alleging illegal marketing and calling the products themselves unlawful. At issue are Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage, which contains aspirin and phytosterols, and Bayer Women's Low Dose Aspirin + Calcium, which contains aspirin and calcium.

Says the agency's news release:

"The FDA considers these products new drugs and thus they must undergo the FDA's drug approval process," said Mike Chappell, the FDA's acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "The FDA will take enforcement action against manufacturers found to be violating the law or attempting to circumvent the drug approval process."

Such warning letters are not exceptional, but they do suggest some response is needed. Beyond taking issue with the marketing, the agency also says the labels' directions for use are more than a little problematic.

The website for Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage says: "Phytosterols, a natural plant-based supplement also known as plant sterols, are clinically proven to lower bad cholesterol, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease." Here's its warning letter.

The website for Bayer Women's Aspirin + Calcium says: "The product addresses two major health threats facing American women today -- heart disease and osteoporosis. Bayer Women's Aspirin plus Calcium combines 81 mg of calcium -- the lowest strength available that can provide the lifesaving benefits of aspirin -- with as much calcium as in an 8 oz glass of milk (300 mg elemental calcium) to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis." Here's its warning letter.

A company spokeswoman told Bloomberg News that it stands behind the marketing -- but that it would review the FDA's letters.

For what it's worth, both Bayer pages point out, in bold type: "Aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin or modify an aspirin regimen."

The American Heart Assn. is a firm supporter of aspirin use in heart attack and stroke prevention. And here's some useful information from U.S. News & World Report on aspirin.

But the FDA wants to weigh in on the combo -- and the marketing. 

-- Tami Dennis

Osteoporosis drugs and irregular heartbeat

People who take bisphosphonates, drugs that add mass to deteriorating bones, for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis may be at increased risk for atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeats, according to research presented today at a conference of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Atrial fibrillation can produce a variety of symptoms, including light-headedness, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath -- or no symptoms at all. The study involved more than 16,000 women ages 69 to 75, some of whom took bisphosphonates and some of whom took a placebo. Of those who took the real drugs, 2.5% to 3% experienced irregular heartbeats. For 1% to 2% of the women who took bisphosphonates, the episode was serious, resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the study. Overall, the women  taking bisphosphonates were twice as likely to suffer a serious heartbeat irregularity.

It's not the first time the association has been made between the drugs and an irregular heartbeat. A study in the May 3, 2007, New England Journal of Medicine found that while the drugs reduced the risk of fractures, the researchers noted an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in women getting a once-yearly infusion of bisphosphonates.

In October 2007, the Food and Drug Administration said it would continue to investigate the connection, but said that the agency did not believe doctors or patients should change their prescribing patterns at that time.

At the conference, researchers urged continued studies.

"In patients with increased risk factors for atrial fibrillation, clinicians should be more cautious when choosing treatment for osteoporosis and weigh the risks against the benefit of decreased fracture risk," said researcher Dr. Jennifer Miranda, of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami in a news release.

"Bisphosphonates are widely used to treat millions of women and men who suffer from osteoporosis or low bone density," said James A. L. Mathers Jr., president of the American College of Chest Physicians. "A potential link between bisphosphonates and atrial fibrillation warrants additional research in this area."

The Los Angeles Times Health section covered osteoporosis and bisphosphonates in Sept. 22 articles.

-- Susan Brink