For Release at 8:30 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 9
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Two Drugs Provide Protection from Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis
Two drugs already on the market show promise in the fight against steroid-induced osteoporosis, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology National Scientific Meeting Nov. 9-12 in Washington, D.C.
Osteoporosis is the thinning of bones, which often leads to loss of height and painful fractures. Postmenopausal women and men or women taking steroids are at highest risk for developing osteoporosis.
Steroids are commonly prescribed for a number of disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. While steroids are vital in the management of these diseases and improve patients' quality of life, osteoporosis is a serious side effect, and bone mass must be carefully monitored during treatment.
Studies presented by Kenneth Saag, MD, MSc, of the University of Iowa, and Jacques Brown, MD, of Le Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Quebec in Canada, show that alendronate (Fosamax, a product of Merck & Co., Inc.) can prevent and treat steroid-induced osteoporosis. It significantly increased bone mass at the spine and hip in men and women taking steroids compared to placebo and baseline. The studies of 560 patients over 48 weeks compared alendronate plus calcium and Vitamin D with placebo plus calcium and Vitamin D. The studies showed fewer people on alendronate had spine fractures compared to those on placebo.
Alendronate reduced spine fractures by more than 65 percent in postmenopausal women on corticosteroid therapy.
Another study, led by William Bensen, MD, and Rick Adachi, MD, of St. Joseph Hospital and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, shows that etidronate (Didronel, a product of Procter and Gamble) can prevent steroid-induced osteoporosis. The study followed 141 patients taking high doses of steroids for one year. Patients received either etidronate or placebo for 14 days followed by 76 days of calcium. This cycle was repeated three times. At the end of the study, patients on etidronate had increased bone mass in the spine and hip. The study also found a significant reduction in risk for vertebral fracture. Height loss was also less in the people taking etidronate.
The American College of Rheumatology issued guidelines for the prevention and treatment of steroid-induced osteoporosis in 1996.
"We already knew that alendronate and etidronate could provide relief from general osteoporosis," said Marc Hochberg, MD, lead author of the ACR guidelines. "This new research on alendronate and etidronate shows that these drugs can also play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis caused by steroids. This information should help physicians provide even better prevention and treatment for this disorder. "
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 disorders.
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