Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have found that a category of drugs that help treat heart problems and hypertension also improve bone density and dampen risk of osteoporosis fracture by around 50%.

The beta blockers that are used for the treatment of heart problems, hypertension and anxiety were introduced nearly 40 years ago. The new research has also associated the drugs with increasing bone density. The findings of the study are based on the analysis of the affect of the drugs on about 3,500 Australian older men and women; the database collected from Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology study and the participants were followed for a period of over 20 years.

Prof Nguyen, from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research said, "Indeed, we found that men and women who used beta-blockers had a 50% lower risk of fracture than those not using beta blockers".

The researchers found that those taking beta-blockers were less likely to be affected with bone fractures and also, the side-effects of the drugs were not more than those posed by the anti-osteoporosis drugs.

The study is a contribution to the previously done study by researchers at Columbia University in the US, who assessed the effect of beta blockers in mice, which increased their bone mass. The new research was unable to find the reason that how beta blockers strengthen bones.