Risedronate rapidly reduces the risk for nonvertebral fractures in women with
postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Author(s): Harrington JT, Ste-Marie LG, Brandi ML, Civitelli R, Fardellone P, Grauer A,
Barton I, Boonen S.
Affiliation(s): University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI, USA.
Tim.Harrington@UWMF.WISC.EDU
Publication date & source: 2004, Calcif Tissue Int. , 74(2):129-35
Prevention of nonvertebral fractures, which account for a substantial proportion
of osteoporotic fractures, is an important goal of osteoporosis treatment.
Risedronate, a pyridinyl bisphosphonate, significantly reduces clinical vertebral
fracture incidence within 6 months. To determine the effect of risedronate on
osteoporosis-related nonvertebral fractures, data from four large, randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase III studies were pooled and analyzed. The
population analyzed consisted of postmenopausal women, with and without vertebral
fractures, who had low bone mineral density (lumbar spine T-score <-2.5).
Patients received placebo (N = 608) or risedronate 5 mg daily (N = 564) for 1 to
3 years. At baseline, 58% had at least one prevalent vertebral fracture, and the
mean lumbar spine T-score was -3.4. Among placebo-treated patients, the presence
of prevalent vertebral fractures did not increase the risk of incident
nonvertebral fractures overall, although fractures of the humerus and hip and
pelvis were more common in patients who had prevalent vertebral fractures than in
those who did not. Risedronate 5 mg significantly reduced the incidence of
nonvertebral fractures within 6 months compared with control. After 1 year,
nonvertebral fracture incidence was reduced by 74% compared with control ( P =
0.001), and after 3 years, the incidence was reduced by 59% ( P = 0.002). The
results indicate that risedronate significantly reduces the incidence of
osteoporosis-related nonvertebral fractures within 6 months.
|