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Osteoporosis Drugs May Help Fight Flu

Antiviral medications such as Tamiflu and Relenza may help shorten the severity and duration of the H1N1 flu virus, but neither drug is a miracle cure for this influenza bug. Help may eventually come from an unexpected source. Two injectable drugs used to treat osteoporosis, Aredia and Reclast, have been shown to stimulate the body’s production of specialized white blood cells that help fight off flu viruses. Preliminary test tube research suggests that this may represent a new way to boost immune defenses, but there is still significant research to be done both in animals and humans before these drugs will be ready for clinical use against influenza.
[Journal of Infectious Diseases, September 15, 2009]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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