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The osteoporosis treatment alendronate may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in people with hip fractures, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (9 May 2018)[1]
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The study looked at patients diagnosed with a hip fracture in Hong Kong between 2005 and 2013 who were followed up until 2016, including 4,594 patients exposed to anti-osteoporosis medication (3,081 patients to alendronate) matched with 13,568 untreated patients.
The team found that the risk of one-year cardiovascular mortality was reduced by 67% and the risk of incident myocardial infarction was reduced by 45% in those exposed to alendronate. Similar results were seen when they included any bisphosphonate exposure compared with non-exposure.
The researchers said the findings could help provide further impetus to treat osteoporosis with bisphosphonates in hip fracture patients.
“If the results are further validated, the initiation of alendronate treatment in patients with hip fracture is encouraged,” they concluded.
References
[1] Sing C-W, Wong A, Kiel D et al. Association of alendronate and risk of cardiovascular events in patients with hip fracture. J Bone Miner Res 2018. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.344
