For Release at 1:30 PM, Sunday Nov. 14
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Alendronate Increases Bone Mass in Children
Alendronate significantly improves bone mass in children and adolescents with secondary osteoporosis -- a complication of chronic steroid use -- according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting Nov. 13--17 in Boston, Mass.
"The results of our study show that alendronate can be safely administered even in the pediatric age, and that it significantly increases bone mineral density in children or adolescents with secondary osteoporosis," said investigator Rolando Cimaz, MD, of the Pediatrics Department of the University of Milan in Italy.
Steroids are widely used in the treatment of chronic noninfectious inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatic disease. Secondary osteoporosis is one of the most serious adverse effects of steroid use, and can result in fractures of the hip, rib, spine, leg, ankle or foot. As many as 285,000 children in the United States have a form of rheumatic disease.
The open-label multicenter study enrolled 43 patients with an average age of 13 and as young as five, most of whom were diagnosed with juvenile arthritis or lupus. Patients received either 5 or 10 mg a day of alendronate for one year. Bone mineral density increased an average of 14 percent, compared to only one percent in a group of the same patients in the year preceding alendronate treatment. No significant side effects appeared during the year of treatment.
The American College of Rheumatology is the professional organization for rheumatologists and health professionals who share a dedication to healing, preventing disability and curing arthritis and related rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For more information on the ACR's annual meeting, see http://www.rheumatology.org.
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