Latest Osteoporosis News: Outrageous DXA Scan Manufacturer And Big Pharma Link Revealed, Merck (Finally!) Loses Fosamax Lawsuit, Harvard Doctor Questions Milk, And More!

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Lifestyle News

Evidence-Based
6 min Read
osteoporosis news

There have been some fascinating developments regarding osteoporosis recently. Important new technology in DXA scan machines reveals some shady connections, and Merck actually loses a lawsuit. Milk is in the news once again as one of the most recommended – and least necessary – beverages for kids and adults.

Let’s get started with the latest news.

Leading DXA Scan Manufacturer Accommodates Big Pharma’s Agenda with Redesigned Bone Scan Machine

Hologic has launched “Horizon,” a totally redesigned DXA machine that does far more than provide bone scans. Horizon also takes on obesity and heart disease. Plus it fine-tunes bone scanning capabilities in an attempt to help the Medical Establishment continue to prescribe bisphosphonates, the popular osteoporosis drugs that are riddled with devastating side effects.

News Excerpt:

“Built on Hologic proprietary technologies, the Horizon platform offers expanded technical capabilities, workflow efficiencies and improved design components to meet clinician needs now and into the future. … The global impact of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-related problems is serious and costly. …

The Hologic Horizon DXA platform offers:

  • A Single Energy Femur Exam that allows clinicians to visualize potential atypical femur fractures, an unusual form of femur fracture which can occur as the result of bisphosphonate use
  • A FRAX 10-year Fracture Risk Report which can aid in the early detection of osteoporosis by taking into account risk factors in addition to bone density
  • High Definition Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA-HD) capability for significantly improved detection of vertebral fractures
  • An Abdominal Aortic Calcification feature through Hologic's IVA-HD technology which enables clinicians to visualize abdominal aortic calcifications, a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease
  • Advanced Body Composition assessment with visceral fat estimation to assist in the evaluation of metabolic health”1

Isn’t it interesting that Hologic adjusted its technology to reflect the inescapable issue of atypical femur fractures caused by bisphosphonates? Apparently, Mainstream Medicine isn’t even trying to hide this connection between osteoporosis drugs and weakened bones anymore. They continue to ignore how ludicrous it is for a drug to cause fractures when it’s supposed to prevent and treat osteoporosis, which leads to fractures.

This is just further proof of the collusion between Big Pharma, Mainstream Medicine, and the manufacturers of DXA scan machines. Yes, the new Horizon is very revealing indeed…

Merck (Finally) Loses Fosamax Lawsuit; Osteonecrosis Victim to Receive Compensation

When Rhoda Scheinberg took Fosamax between October 2000 and September 2006, she had no idea that the drug was implicated in the sinister infection of the jaw known as osteonecrosis. When complications from a tooth extraction turned into this dreaded disease, Scheinberg filed a lawsuit against Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax. The 8-person jury determined that Merck was at fault for not providing adequate warning about the connection between Fosamax and osteonecrosis, and therefore, Merck was to blame for Scheinberg’s injury.

Amazingly, Scheinberg’s doctor also claimed ignorance about the serious side effects of Fosamax.

News Excerpt:

“‘A warning is not automatically sufficient simply because it includes certain “magic words,”’ ruled Judge John Keenan, noting that Merck's inadequate safety label for Fosamax also failed to mention the drug’s limited efficacy. ‘The court does not accept that simply because the Fosamax label mentions the malady “osteonecrosis of the jaw,” it is sufficient as a matter of law,’ explained Judge Keenan. ‘Rather, whether the name of the malady incurred by plaintiff was included is but one consideration in evaluating the Fosamax label “as a whole.”’



Numerous key witnesses, including Scheinberg's physician, reportedly testified at length about the inherent deception in the Fosamax label. Dr. Suzanne Parisian told the court that, if she had known about the serious nature of Fosamax, she would never have prescribed it to her patient. …

‘This is a victory for those injured by Fosamax,’ says Rochelle Rottenstein, Principal of the Rottenstein Law Group, which is also involved in Fosamax litigation. ‘It's a good sign for those who might have been unsure if pursuing a Fosamax lawsuit was a good idea. Those people should now be further encouraged to contact a lawyer to determine if they have a case.’”2

Merck has been ordered to pay Scheinberg $285,000 in compensation. While $285,000 is a “drop in the bucket” to a pharmaceutical giant like Merck, this victory will set the precedent for others who have been injured by this dangerous drug.

Harvard Doctor Questions Conventional Wisdom About Drinking Milk

As many of you know, I do not advocate drinking milk. The issue causes lively discussions whenever it’s brought up, which tends to happen when someone questions conventional nutrition advice. But finally a medical professional has dared to remove the blinders and is speaking out about the mainstream recommendation to drink 3 cups of milk a day.

News Excerpt:

“…a Harvard pediatrician is arguing that the current U.S. recommendation of three servings of dairy a day isn’t necessarily one-size-fits-all. …

‘This recommendation to drink three cups a day of milk – it’s perhaps the most prevailing advice given to the American public about diet in the last half century,’ says David Ludwig, …the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. ‘As a result, Americans are consuming billions of gallons of milk a year, presumably under the assumption that their bones would crumble without them.’ …

People with a high-quality diet — those who get adequate protein, vitamin D and calcium from things like leafy greens, legumes, nuts and seeds — may get little or no added nutritional benefit from consuming three servings of dairy a day, Ludwig argues.

‘The point is, we can get plenty of calcium from a whole range of foods,’ says Ludwig, who’s also a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. ‘On a gram for gram basis, cooked kale has more calcium than milk. Sardines, nuts seeds beans [sic], green leafy vegetables are all sources of calcium.’”3 (emphasis mine)

You don’t need to drink milk to get the calcium your bones need. In fact, drinking milk can actually harm your bones, because it has an acidifying effect on the body. With the exception of sardines, all of the foods Dr. Ludwig mentions are alkalizing (or have alkalizing varieties). They are also Foundation Foods in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program. The bottom line is, you just don’t need to drink milk to have healthy bones.

I applaud the courage of this Harvard doctor, who is not afraid to address the milk issue candidly.

Two Unlikely Best Friends

And now let’s look at something that is the opposite of controversial. Here is a lesson in friendship from which we can all benefit. I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy this amazing video. I know I did:

Till next time,

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References

1 Hologic. “Hologic Launches New Bone Densitometer Platform for Osteoporosis, Cardiovascular Disease, and Obesity Assessment.” PR Newswire. August 18, 2013. Web. https://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/08/5633595/hologic-launches-new-bone-densitometer.html

2 Huff, Ethan A. “Merck slapped with $285,000 verdict over faulty Fosamax osteoporosis drug.” Natural News. August 8, 2013. Web. https://www.naturalnews.com/041543_Fosamax_osteoporosis_drug_Merck.html

3 Dahl, Melissa. “Milk does a body good? Maybe not always, Harvard doc argues.” Today. July 1, 2013. Web. https://www.today.com/health/milk-does-body-good-maybe-not-always-harvard-doc-argues-6C10505414