Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatment

Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatment has been in the news for some time. Perhaps the approval of the drug, Protelos, a synthetic form of strontium, for use in the European Union, has something to do with this increased interest.

Early research published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that vertebral fractures were reduced 49% in the first year and 41% over three years by this pharmaceutical form. You can read the full text click on: Possible Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatment: "The Effects of Strontium Ranelate on the Risk of Vertebral Fracture in Women with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis".

But after a few years, there were reports of negative cardio effects and the European Union issued a warning: which you can read by clicking: Strontium Warning

The FDA has not approved Protelos for use in the United States  but it appears that some companies have created other pharmaceutical forms of strontium

Two companies:Hanmi Ameal and AstraZeneca have both filed patents for a pharmaceutical form of strontium. But these drugs have not been issues for the treatment of Osteoporosis. Instead Hanmi Ameal's drug was launched for the treatment of GERD (gastroesophogal disease).

Natural forms: Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatment

Natural forms of this element have been discussed as Strontium Osteoporosis Osteopenia treatments for  years.   Note: ALL the early studies of this mineral and its effect on bone density were done with the natural forms  - not the new pharmaceutical forms.

• The references I found go back to 1910. A German researcher reported that Strontium seemed to be very effective in stimulating the rapid formation of bone.
• In 1920 another German researcher concluded that using this element in addition to calcium were superior to calcium alone in mineralizing bone. (But we now know that the two elements should NOT be taken at the same time because they 'cancel each other out'.  
  
• It appears that the two studies noted abouve were not picked up elsewhere in the world and nothing seems to have been done to advance the use of Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatments for many years.
• But in 1952 report from Cornell University reinforced the 1920 conclusions. The Cornell report stated that using both minerals worked better than using calcium alone for rebuilding bone.
• In 1959, at the Mayo Clinic physicians reported the use of Strontium lactate as a treatment. 22 individuals with severe, painful osteoporosis took 1,700 milligrams of daily and another 10 took the same amount of along with estrogen and testosterone.                                                         Results: All patients showed improvement. 18 of the 22 in the mineral only group had 'marked improvement' while the other 4 had 'moderate improvement'. In the hormones plus the element group, nine of 10 experienced 'marked improvement' while the other one showed 'moderate improvement'. These seem to be impressive use of Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatments.
• Then in 1981 there was a study of patients with cancer that had metastasized to bone. The results showed improved bone density and lessened pain in cancer-affected areas. (I believe that this study also used the lactate form of the element for the Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatment.)
• In 1985, there was a 6 month study of the carbonate form of Strontium Osteopenia Osteoporosis treatment. Six participants and each was given 500-700 mg per day. Bone biopsies were done before and after treatment and researchers reported that bone formation had improved while bone resorption (removal of bone) had remained the same. For me, this is last study is important since most of the drugs on the market do not stimulate our osteoblasts to build NEW bone. They only inhibit the work of our osteoclasts in bone resorption. (And this could be a factor in the frature risk that seems to develop.)) Strontium is a mineral that appears to stimulate the osteoblasts to build new bone.

NOTE: Articles by Jonathan V. Wright M.D. of the Tahoma Clinic and Robert Jay Rowen M.D. are the major sources for the above information. Both these physicians use complementary medicine in addition to conventional medical treatments. Both have web sites and offer subscription newsletters.

Dr. Wright reminds us that there are 3 main forms of the natural element: Strontium lactate, gluconate, and carbonate.

It appears that all three of these natural forms have been used by researchers seeking to increase bone building

Buy quality Natural Strontium at the Osteopenia Osteoporosis Products page  (On that page you get a choice of companies selling the product.)