Archive for December, 2012
No Human Osteosarcoma Linked to Forteo
A reader has asked about bone cancer and Forteo.
Osteosarcoma is a rare bone cancer. Lilly has endowed a 15-year independent study (suggested by the FDA) of all Osteosarcoma patients in Cancer Registries, looking for individuals who have taken Forteo. The halfway point results from June 2004 through Sept 2011 were published in JBMR in Dec 2012. Of the 1448 persons who had Osteosarcoma during that time period, not one had taken Forteo.
The “black box” warning on the Forteo (Teriparatide) label refers to studies of rats, not humans. These rats very commonly get osteosarcoma without any medication. The rats were given doses 3 to 20 times the human dose for the equivalent of 70 human years. Rats’ bones never stop growing. Growing bones are particularly vulnerable to osteosarcoma. Humans are different from rats.
Family Gatherings Are A “Blue Zone”
Visiting our grandson, daughter and her husband, and our sons created a wonderful “Blue Zones” holiday. For the first time in a dozen years our California son did not have to work both the 24th and 26th. We all gathered in Minneapolis along with our son in law’s family from North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Spending time with family and friends is very important for your health, your longevity, and your joy in living. I hope you all had the opportunity, or will make time for it soon.
Jay Ginther, MD
Live Longer & Happier – Celebrate the Holidays
“The Blue Zones” by Dan Buettner gives “9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest”. His second book is “Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones’ Way”. Both are well worth reading.
Celebrate the Holy Days. Being a person of faith is one of the 9 keys to a longer, happier life. Hanukkah and Ashura are recently past. Christmas approaches.