M.D. Seven years ago, I reported that the cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lipitor, Mevacor, Zocor, Lescol, and Baycol help to strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. Fosamax that is advertised to strengthen bones and Mevacor that is advertised to lower cholesterol both lower cholesterol and strengthen bones. Mevacor-like drugs that lower cholesterol also strengthen bones in the same way that Fosamax, the bone strengthener does. Bones are always changing .
Bone cells called osteoblasts add calcium to bones, then osteoclasts pull the calcium out of bones.
So all day long calcium is being driven into and out of bone. The drugs to lower cholesterol and the drugs to strengthen bones both block osteoclasts from breaking down bone. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, know that the drug, lovastatin, helps to prevent the liver from making cholesterol. The drug etidronate is used to treat osteoporosis, or bone softening, because it helps bones pick up and use extra calcium. They thought that etidronate may also help to remove calcium from arteriosclerotic plaques.