FRIDAY, June 21, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- A five-year study has been launched to determine whether a synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prevents fractures in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis without causing the side effects associated with many other HRTs.
The study includes researchers at the Rush Center for Clinical Studies at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. They are seeking to enroll more than 100 volunteers in the study of the synthetic HRT called tibolone.
Half the volunteers will receive daily doses of tibolone and half will receive a placebo. All volunteers will receive calcium and vitamin supplements, bone mineral density scans, mammograms, X-rays and electrocardiograms.
Tibolone's effectiveness will be tested by the rate of vertebrae fractures suffered by the women in the study. Tibolone has been used in Europe for several years, the researchers say.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Osteoporosis is most common in women who have gone through menopause. Many people aren't aware they have it until they suffer a fracture of the spine, hip or wrist.
Anyone interested in enrolling in the study can phone 312-563-2964 or 312-563-2965.
More information
To learn more about tibolone, visit the United Kingdom's National Osteoporosis Society.
