2007年VOA标准英语-Study Shows Popular Stomach Drugs Affect Bone H

By Melinda Smith
Washington, D.C.
02 January 2007
 
watch Proton Pump report

A basic tenet often associated with the practice of medicine is that physicians ‘do no harm.'  But even with the best intentions, sometimes a drug prescribed for one ailment¹ can cause other problems. One example is a side effect of a popular class of drugs used for acid reflux disease.  A new study shows a significant percentage of older patients taking this kind of drug are at risk of fracturing a hip².

Acid reflux disease commonly affects millions of people. Most are elderly.  Sufferers often complain of heartburn and a sour taste caused by the backup of stomach acid in the throat.  Changes in the diet and a reduction of stress can usually help alleviate³ the pain.  Yet sometimes the only relief comes from a pill.  In the United States, Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid are three popular brand names of a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors.

A recent study of thousands of people in Britain over the age of 50 indicates that this kind of medication can also increase the risk of a hip fracture. Researchers found that after more than a year on the drug, patients were likely to have a 44 percent higher risk of hip fracture than patients who did not take the drug.  Patients who took stronger doses of the medication were three times more likely to experience fractures than those who did not.

The scientists concluded that while the drug may help reduce the amount of stomach acid, it also affects the way the body absorbs calcium⁴, which is needed for bone density⁵. The study recommends that doctors prescribe the lowest dose of a proton pump inhibitor, as well as a calcium supplement.

For millions of women worried about osteoporosis and possible bone fractures, there is good news about a drug called alendronate.  Alendronate is also known by the brand name Fosamax. 

A study, paid for by the drug's manufacturer, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  It says alendronate helps build bone strength even years after women stopped taking it. 

Fifty-eight-year-old Judy Sheridan began taking the drug when a bone test showed signs of osteoporosis. "It is helping⁶ me because I've had a follow-up test a couple years after I started, and my bone strength had improved," she says

Dennis Black of the University of California at San Francisco says the study answers the question of how long it is safe to take the drug: "The drug was safe to use for as long as ten years.  We didn't see any negative effects of long-term use."

Dr. Black says women in the study who had taken alendronate for five years were then randomly⁷ assigned five more years of the drug or a placebo⁸. While there was some bone loss among those who took the sugar pill, fracture rates among both groups of women were basically unchanged. 

"…Suggesting that for many women, they may be able to discontinue alendronate after five years and still maintain a five-year additional fracture benefit," says Black.

One note of caution from researchers:  women who have already had fractures are at risk for breaking another bone and probably should not stop taking the drug.

1 ailment   

n.疾病，小病

参考例句：

• I don't have even the slightest ailment.我什么毛病也没有。
• He got timely treatment for his ailment.他的病得到了及时治疗。

2 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

3 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

4 calcium   

n.钙(化学符号Ca)

参考例句：

• We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
• Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。

5 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

8 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。