title: Elcatonin is effective for lower back pain and the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease in elderly osteoporotic patients with kyphosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elderly osteoporotic patients with kyphosis tend to be frequently accompanied by the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) such as heartburn and acid reflux. Elcatonin, which is effective for lower back pain of osteoporosis, has a physiological action of reducing gastric acid. We examine whether or not this drug would alleviate GERD symptoms as well as lower back pain in patients with osteoporosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elcatonin was administrated at a dose of 20 units once weekly for 3 months. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD (FSSG) were used to evaluate lower back pain and GERD symptoms, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both VAS and FSSG scores significantly decreased after 1, 2 and 3 months of elcatonin administration (at least P < 0.001). Even after the cessation of elcatonin, both scores remained significantly low for an extra 1 and 3 months, respectively. These beneficial effects were also observed in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or GERD drug users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that elcatonin could improve the symptoms of GERD as well as osteoporosis-invoked back pain in elderly patients with kyphosis, and that these effects are long-lasting and independent of NSAID or GERD drugs.
authors.affiliation: Yamane Hospital, Shimane, Japan. haruka-y@apost.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsumori
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Toshitsugu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000150:complications*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D002116:Calcitonin; C012755:elcatonin