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A brand new drug could doubtlessly alleviate two of essentially the most troublesome results of menopause.
The drug, referred to as Pool 7, Compound 3 (P7C3), could help cut back bone loss and weight achieve in postmenopausal girls, based on researchers on the University of Central Florida (UCF).
The drug can also be being studied as a remedy for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and different neurological ailments.
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“Current drugs given to prevent post-menopausal bone loss target specific cells or proteins,” lead researcher Melanie Coathup, a UCF biomedical engineer, advised Fox News Digital.
“They therefore tend to cause problems after long-term use, or through secondary complications to other unrelated tissues in the body.”
Results of the examine had been revealed within the journal Advanced Science.
Until now, there has not been a secure, long-term remedy for bone loss in girls, the researchers claimed within the UCF press launch.
Many girls reside with menopause-associated medical challenges that go away them “at a loss” as to easy methods to maintain and keep good well being, based on Coathup.
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The researcher mentioned she is commonly “inundated” with questions from older girls who’re afraid of breaking a bone and are “desperate for help.”
“There is a significant gap in ways of medically supporting women following menopause — and P7C3 may give hope that a new alternative is on the horizon,” she mentioned.
In mouse research, the brand new drug was proven to forestall bone loss and keep a wholesome quantity of bone.
“The bone remained strong — it was more difficult to break with a machine — despite our models having low to no estrogen,” Coathup mentioned within the launch.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a situation that causes weak, brittle bones. It is usually brought on by overactive cells that soak up an excessive amount of bone.
In the later phases of the illness, signs can embody again ache, stooped posture and bone breakage, based on Mayo Clinic.
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More than 200 million individuals have osteoporosis, together with over 70% of individuals older than age 80, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Females are extra prone than males.
P7C3 works by inhibiting the exercise of bone-absorbing cells.
“There is a significant gap in ways of medically supporting women following menopause.”
The drug has additionally been discovered to scale back irritation and create new, wholesome bone tissue.
“Our metabolism declines with age and plays an important role in almost every tissue in the body,” Coathup advised Fox News Digital.
“Therefore, a key takeaway is that P7C3 may not only cause fewer unwanted side effects, but may also improve the health of many tissues in addition to bone and fat, potentially including our muscles, memory and cognition.”
The drug was additionally discovered to forestall post-menopausal weight achieve by growing useful micro organism within the intestine microbiome and boosting fats metabolism.
“Massive whole-body weight gain is common in both humans and rats in postmenopausal osteoporosis and low estrogen,” Coathup famous.
“The finding that P7C3 reduced overall fat deposits and body weight was highly unexpected,” she additionally mentioned.
‘Promising’ early outcomes
Dr. Kathleen Jordan, chief medical officer of Midi Health in California, was not concerned within the examine however provided her response to what she referred to as a “commendable” examine.
“It is exciting that bone health is getting some much-needed research, especially in women where estrogen depletion in menopause makes them extra vulnerable to poor bone well being,” she advised Fox News Digital.
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Osteoporosis can result in “fragility fractures,” Jordan warned — referring to “fractures that can result from the minor bumps occurring in daily life and [that] are painful and debilitating.”
While P7C3 could set the stage for extra therapies for ladies, Jordan famous that the drug remains to be “very early in development and not ready for broad clinical use.”
“I look forward to the results of future safety and efficacy studies,” she added.
Coathup agreed that a lot extra analysis is required, however mentioned the early indicators are “very positive.”
“I hope our research brings women hope, albeit cautious hope,” she mentioned. “The results have been incredibly, and surprisingly, promising.”
What girls can do now
The UFC researchers additionally plan to research whether or not the drug can help restore bone mass in girls who have already got osteoporosis.
In the meantime, Coathup encourages girls experiencing menopause to eat a weight-reduction plan excessive in calcium and Vitamin D, to discuss with their medical doctors as wanted, and to construct muscle by doing load-bearing workout routines, comparable to strolling, jogging, dancing or taking part in tennis.
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“Following that advice will help women lead healthier lives through menopause and have a greater chance of avoiding bone loss and weight gain,” she mentioned.
Jordan disagreed with the researchers’ claims that there aren’t any efficient remedies for bone loss, saying that ladies ought to have the ability to entry the options which can be presently obtainable.
“Estrogen replacement has long been known to support women’s bone health, reduce the incidence of osteopenia and osteoporosis, and prevent fractures,” she mentioned.
(The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, “recommends against the use of combined estrogen and progestin for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons,” based on its web site.)
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In addition to weight-bearing train and an optimized weight-reduction plan, bone density screenings are additionally necessary, Jordan mentioned — significantly for ladies who’ve sure threat elements.
Those elements embody having a mom with fractures or bone well being struggles, partaking in important alcohol consumption, having diabetes, or usually utilizing prednisone or different steroids.
For extra Health articles, go to www.foxnews.com/well being.
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