F O R M U L A RY M A N A G E M E N T Comparison of Risedronate to Alendronate and Calcitonin for Early Reduction of Nonvertebral Fracture Risk: Results From a Managed Care Administrative Claims Database

steoporosis is an increasing concern for older adults as painful fragility fractures can significantly affect overall health and quality of life. In the United States, the lifetime risk of fracture at age 50 is estimated at 40% for women and 12.5% for men. Reductions in relative risk (RR) of radiographic vertebral fracture were comparable for the 2 drugs, ranging from 41% to 49% over 3 years (3.0% to 10.9% absolute risk reduction [ARR]). 9 Osteoporosis is considered to be a "silent" disease, and patients may fail to be compliant with therapy due to multiple ). Most were women (93%); mean age was similar for alendronate and risedronate, and nasal calcitonin patients were about 3 years older, on average. Risedronate and alendronate patients were more likely to have used estrogen, while nasal calcitonin patients were more likely to have been hospitalized and had higher use of concomitant medications and more physician visits. Relative risks were adjusted for these differences. Risedronate and alendronate patients were similar with respect to these indicators of general health status. In the 6-month analysis, nonvertebral fractures were observed in 2.2% of patients receiving nasal calcitonin, 1.4% of patients receiving alendronate, and 0.6% of patients receiving risedronate. The adjusted RR reduction was 69% for risedronate versus calcitonin (RR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.81; P = 0.02), 54% for risedronate versus alendronate (RR = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.20 to 1.06; P = 0.07), and 26% for alendronate versus calcitonin (RR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.43 to 1.27; P = 0.28). In the 12-month analysis, nonvertebral fracture rates were 2.9% for nasal calcitonin, 2.4% for alendronate, and 0.9% for risedronate patients. The adjusted RR reduction was 75% for risedronate versus calcitonin (RR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.64; P<0.01), 59% for risedronate versus alendronate (RR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.94; P = 0.04), and 25% for alendronate versus calcitonin (RR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.25; P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of medical and pharmacy claims contained in an administrative database confirms the early fracture reduction with risedronate that was shown in randomized clinical trials. Risedronate was more effective than calcitonin in reducing the risk of nonvertebral fractures within the first 6 months of treatment. Risedronate was more effective than either calcitonin or alendronate in reducing the risk of nonvertebral fractures within 12 months of treatment

Short Sleep Is Associated With Low Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis in the Women’s Health Initiative

Short sleep duration, recognized as a public health epidemic, is associated with adverse health conditions, yet little is known about the association between sleep and bone health. We tested the associations of usual sleep behavior and bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis. In a sample of 11,084 postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI; mean age 63.3â years, SD = 7.4), we performed a crossâ sectional study of the association of selfâ reported usual hours of sleep and sleep quality (WHI Insomnia Rating Score) with whole body, total hip, femoral neck, and spine BMD using linear regression models. We also studied the association of sleep duration and quality with dualâ energy Xâ ray absorptiometry (DXA)â defined low bone mass (Tâ scoreâ <â â 2.5 to <â 1) and osteoporosis (Tâ scoreâ â ¤â â 2.5) using multinomial regression models. We adjusted for age, DXA machine, race, menopausal symptoms, education, smoking, physical activity, body mass index, alcohol use, physical function, and sleep medication use. In adjusted linear regression models, women who reported sleeping 5â hours or less per night had on average 0.012 to 0.018â g/cm2 significantly lower BMD at all four sites compared with women who reported sleeping 7â hours per night (reference). In adjusted multinomial models, women reporting 5â hours or less per night had higher odds of low bone mass and osteoporosis of the hip (odds ratio [OR] =â 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03â 1.45, and 1.63; 1.15â 2.31, respectively). We observed a similar pattern for spine BMD, where women with 5â hours or less per night had higher odds of osteoporosis (adjusted OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.02â 1.60). Associations of sleep quality and DXA BMD failed to reach statistical significance. Short sleep duration was associated with lower BMD and higher risk of osteoporosis. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the crossâ sectional effects of sleep duration on bone health and explore associated mechanisms. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154418/1/jbmr3879_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154418/2/jbmr3879.pd

Fordism: a review essay

Fordism is a central concept in American labour history. This essay, the first survey of the range of historiographical and sociological approaches deployed to understand Fordism, suggests that Fordism and Americanism are inseparably intertwined. Previous scholarship has emphasised that the technological and managerial efficiency of Fordist practice were a hallmark of twentieth century Americanism. Historians of labour have demonstrated that these aspects manifested as a relentless system of control in the workplace that paradoxically helped to unify worker resistance. Historians of capitalism have tended to used Fordism to refer to an ethos underpinning mid-twentieth century capitalist development marked by a balance between mass production and mass consumption. They identify increased social provisions and class compromise between labour and management as features that made Fordism attractive to states rebuilding their economies following the Second World War. New transnational histories of Fordism have begun to bridge the gap between these two main interpretations to show how Fordist practice and ethos were exported together internationally as part of an ideological project to modernise nations in America's image. This essay concludes by assessing the usefulness of Fordism to historians and suggesting avenues for future research

The Global Longitudinal Study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW): rationale and study design

SUMMARY: The Global Longitudinal study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW) is a prospective cohort study involving 723 physicians and 60,393 women subjects \u3eor=55 years. The data will provide insights into the management of fracture risk in older women over 5 years, patient experience with prevention and treatment, and distribution of risk among older women on an international basis. INTRODUCTION: Data from cohort studies describing the distribution of osteoporosis-related fractures and risk factors are not directly comparable and do not compare regional differences in patterns of patient management and fracture outcomes. METHODS: The GLOW is a prospective, multinational, observational cohort study. Practices typical of each region were identified through primary care networks organized for administrative, research, or educational purposes. Noninstitutionalized patients visiting each practice within the previous 2 years were eligible. Self-administered questionnaires were mailed, with 2:1 oversampling of women \u3eor=65 years. Follow-up questionnaires will be sent at 12-month intervals for 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 723 physicians at 17 sites in ten countries agreed to participate. Baseline surveys were mailed (October 2006 to February 2008) to 140,416 subjects. After the exclusion of 3,265 women who were ineligible or had died, 60,393 agreed to participate. CONCLUSIONS: GLOW will provide contemporary information on patterns of management of fracture risk in older women over a 5-year period. The collection of data in a similar manner in ten countries will permit comparisons of patient experience with prevention and treatment and provide insights into the distribution of risk among older women on an international basis

Q^2 Dependence of the S_{11}(1535) Photocoupling and Evidence for a P-wave resonance in eta electroproduction

New cross sections for the reaction $ep \to e'\eta p$ are reported for total center of mass energy $W$=1.5--2.3 GeV and invariant squared momentum transfer $Q^2$=0.13--3.3 GeV$^2$. This large kinematic range allows extraction of new information about response functions, photocouplings, and $\eta N$ coupling strengths of baryon resonances. A sharp structure is seen at $W\sim$ 1.7 GeV. The shape of the differential cross section is indicative of the presence of a $P$-wave resonance that persists to high $Q^2$. Improved values are derived for the photon coupling amplitude for the $S_{11}$(1535) resonance. The new data greatly expands the $Q^2$ range covered and an interpretation of all data with a consistent parameterization is provided.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figure

Safety and efficacy of a testosterone patch for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in surgically menopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Oophorectomy reduces serum testosterone levels. We studied the efficacy and safety of transdermal testosterone in treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder in surgically menopausal women

Modulation of gene expression in heart and liver of hibernating black bears (Ursus americanus)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hibernation is an adaptive strategy to survive in highly seasonal or unpredictable environments. The molecular and genetic basis of hibernation physiology in mammals has only recently been studied using large scale genomic approaches. We analyzed gene expression in the American black bear, <it>Ursus americanus</it>, using a custom 12,800 cDNA probe microarray to detect differences in expression that occur in heart and liver during winter hibernation in comparison to summer active animals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified 245 genes in heart and 319 genes in liver that were differentially expressed between winter and summer. The expression of 24 genes was significantly elevated during hibernation in both heart and liver. These genes are mostly involved in lipid catabolism and protein biosynthesis and include RNA binding protein motif 3 (<it>Rbm3</it>), which enhances protein synthesis at mildly hypothermic temperatures. Elevated expression of protein biosynthesis genes suggests induction of translation that may be related to adaptive mechanisms reducing cardiac and muscle atrophies over extended periods of low metabolism and immobility during hibernation in bears. Coordinated reduction of transcription of genes involved in amino acid catabolism suggests redirection of amino acids from catabolic pathways to protein biosynthesis. We identify common for black bears and small mammalian hibernators transcriptional changes in the liver that include induction of genes responsible for fatty acid β oxidation and carbohydrate synthesis and depression of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis, carbohydrate catabolism, cellular respiration and detoxification pathways.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings show that modulation of gene expression during winter hibernation represents molecular mechanism of adaptation to extreme environments.</p

Upper limits on the strength of periodic gravitational waves from PSR J1939+2134

The first science run of the LIGO and GEO gravitational wave detectors presented the opportunity to test methods of searching for gravitational waves from known pulsars. Here we present new direct upper limits on the strength of waves from the pulsar PSR J1939+2134 using two independent analysis methods, one in the frequency domain using frequentist statistics and one in the time domain using Bayesian inference. Both methods show that the strain amplitude at Earth from this pulsar is less than a few times $10^{-22}$.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the 5th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Tirrenia, Pisa, Italy, 6-11 July 200