Once a year osteoporosis jab reduces fractures and saves lives

A once a year injection of an osteoporosis drug has been found to reduce the number of new hip fractures for older people and also saves lives. Experts say that 36 percent of patients who suffer a hip fracture die within two years of the incident and such individuals are also five to 10 times more likely to suffer another hip fracture. A new study has found that when such patients are given the osteoporosis drug zoledronic acid (Reclast) their risk of suffering another hip fracture is reduced. In a study funded by the drug company Novartis which makes Reclast, involved 1,065 participants who were given the once-a-year injections, it was found that compared with another 1,062 participants who given a placebo, they were 35% less likely to have a recurrent fracture.