LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Strontium
built 647 days ago
Strontium is a bright silvery metal that is softer than calcium and even more reactive in water, which strontium decomposes on contact with to produce strontium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. It burns in air to produce both strontium oxide and strontium nitride, but since it does not react with nitrogen below 380°C it will only form the oxide spontaneously at room temperature. It should be kept under kerosene to prevent oxidation; freshly exposed strontium metal rapidly turns a yellowish color with the formation of the oxide. Finely powdered strontium metal will ignite spontaneously in air. Volatile strontium salts impart a crimson color to flames, and these salts are used in pyrotechnics and in the production of flares. Natural strontium is a mixture of four stable isotopes.
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Strontium ranelate (Protelos) is an alternative to the bisphosphonates. It works by both building new bone and slowing down the breakdown of old bone – the first drug to do both. It is licensed to treat post-menopausal women to reduce the risk of broken bones in both the hip and spine. Servier, the company which makes the drug, says it is looking at the effects in men so the licence could be extended in the future. Protelos is a sachet of powder which is dissolved in water and is taken once a day ideally at bedtime.
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Strontium has fundamental chemical similarities to calcium. When dietary intake of strontium is raised, strontium begins to take the place of calcium in developing bone. This replacement appears to be beneficial (at least with low doses of strontium—see Safety Issues ), leading to an increase in bone formation, a decrease in bone breakdown, and an overall rise in bone density. 1-5
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Strontium and its compounds have relatively few commercial uses. The pure metal is sometimes combined with other metals to form alloys. An alloy is made by melting and mixing two or more metals. The mixture has different properties than the individual metals. Compounds of strontium are sometimes used to color glass and ceramics. They give a beautiful red color to these materials.
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Strontium ... has been shown to reduce the incidence of cavities. In a 10-year study, the United States Navy Dental Service examined the teeth of about 270,000 naval recruits. Of those, only 360 were found to be completely free of cavities. Curiously, 10 percent of those 360 individuals came from a small area around Rossburg, Ohio, where the water contains unusually high concentrations of strontium. Epidemiologic studies have shown that strontium concentrations of 6 to 10 mg/liter in the water supply are associated with a reduced incidence of cavities. Administering these levels of strontium also reduced the incidence of cavities in animal studies.8
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Strontium ranelate is thought to increase the formation of new bone and decrease bone resorption. In this study, postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and at least one previous vertebral compression fracture were assigned randomly (allocation concealment uncertain) to treatment with 2 g of strontium powder per day or placebo. The powder could be taken once or twice daily, and follow-up consisted of annual radiography and patient reports of any acute back pain or fracture. Although 1,649 patients were recruited initially, 198 patients were excluded from the analysis because they had no follow-up radiography, leaving 1,442 patients (719 receiving strontium, 723 receiving placebo) for the intention-to-treat analysis.
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