Intermittent cyclical etidronate treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis

Article Abstract:

Osteoporosis (a decrease in bone mass) is common among postmenopausal women, and no effective therapeutic or preventative agent has yet been developed. The disease leads to an increased fracture rate in certain bones, and is a costly, debilitating condition. One compound, etidronate, appeared helpful in small, uncontrolled studies. To better determine the effectiveness of this drug against osteoporosis, a long-term, prospective, controlled study of 429 postmenopausal women with a history of vertebral fractures was conducted. The subjects were placed on a cyclical medication schedule where they received either phosphate (involved in bone formation) or placebo (an inactive drug) for three days, followed by etidronate or placebo for 14 days, and then by calcium (necessary for building bone) for 74 days. The cycles were repeated eight times during the two-year study. Four treatment groups were created. All women received calcium during the third part of the treatment cycle. For the first two parts of the treatment cycle group one received placebo, followed by placebo; group two was given phosphate, followed by placebo; group three was given placebo, followed by etidronate; and group four received phosphate, followed by etidronate. Bone mass and levels of substances in the blood were evaluated regularly. Results showed that bone mass of the spine for both groups who received etidronate increased significantly from baseline levels. These increases were not attributed to bone loss in the hip, which is possible since bone is constantly being laid down and resorbed. Fewer etidronate patients developed new vertebral fractures than placebo patients, and their rate of new fracture was reduced by half. The rate was reduced even more for patients who had the lowest bone-mineral-density (bone content of minerals) at the start of the study. Phosphate plus etidronate was no more effective than etidronate alone. In summary, etidronate administered cyclically seems to increase bone mass and reduce vertebral fracture rate in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Aged, Elderly, Women, Diseases, Menopause

---

Effect of intermittent cyclical etidronate therapy on bone mass and fracture rate in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis

Article Abstract:

Osteoporosis, a bone disease that commonly affects postmenopausal women, is characterized by reduced bone mass, which makes the bones fragile and vulnerable to fractures. The way that the bone mass decreases is that the normal balance between bone tissue formation and breakdown is disturbed, with the rate of breakdown overtaking the rate of formation. The medication etidronate can reduce bone breakdown (also known as resorption), particularly when given in a cyclical, or intermittent, pattern. It appears that interruptions in the drug therapy are needed to allow for adequate bone mineralization. Sixty-six women with postmenopausal osteoporosis participated in a study of the potential benefits of cyclical etidronate therapy. Half the women received etidronate while half took an inert placebo; the drugs were taken for 2 weeks and then stopped for 13 weeks, and this cycle was repeated 10 times over a three-year period. Both groups of subjects also took vitamin D and calcium daily throughout the study. At the end of the study, examination of the vertebrae showed that their bone mineral content had increased significantly (by 5.3 percent) in the etidronate group, while it had decreased by 2.7 percent in the placebo group. There were also significantly more vertebral fractures in the placebo group than the etidronate group in the second and third years of the study (54 versus 6 fractures per 100 patient-years). The results show that etidronate increased vertebral bone mineral content over a three-year period and reduced vertebral fractures, with this effect beginning after a single year of therapy. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Postmenopausal women

---

Intermittent etidronate therapy to prevent corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis

Article Abstract:

Intermittent etidronate may increase bone density and reduce the risk of fractures in people taking corticosteroids. Long-term use of corticosteroids can cause osteoporosis. A total of 141 patients on high-dose corticosteroids were randomly assigned to take a 14-day supply of etidronate or placebo followed by 76 days of calcium in four cycles per year. At the end of the year, those taking etidronate had greater bone density in the hip and lumbar spine while those taking a placebo had lost bone density. Etidronate also reduced the incidence of fractures in the postmenopausal women by 85%.

Corticosteroids, Adrenocortical hormones, Bone density

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Fluoride and bone - quantity versus quality. Estrogen treatment of patients with established postmenopausal osteoporosis
• Abstracts: Efficacy and safety of nafarelin in the treatment of endometriosis. Nafarelin in the treatment of pelvic pain caused by endometriosis
• Abstracts: Heparin for 5 days as compared with 10 days in the initial treatment of proximal venous thrombosis. Effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic leg compression for preventing deep vein thrombosis after total hip replacement
• Abstracts: Heparin for 5 days as compared with 10 days in the initial treatment of proximal venous thrombosis. part 2 Establishing a therapeutic range for heparin therapy

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.