Bone Abstracts

Introduction: Bisphosphonates are drugs of first choice in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis; they inhibit bone resorbtion.

Aim: This study evaluates the efficiency of bisphosphonates (alendronic acid+cholecalciferol 70 mg/5600 IU per weekly vs risedronic acid 35 mg/weekly vs ibandronic acid 150 mg/monthly) after 1 year of therapy.

Methods: We present the results of a retrospective study which included 40 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with one of these bisphosphonates. We evaluated (at the beginning and after 1 year): T-score, markers of bone formation (osteocalcin) and bone resorption (cross-laps), vitamin D, calcemia, phosphatemia, the presence of fracture, and risk factors.

Results: Alendronate+cholecalciferol (A), 14 patients; risedronate (R), 11 patients; ibandronate (I), 15 patients. The average age was: 64.07+5.7 S.D. years (A), 63.27+6.57 S.D. years (R), 63.06+11.89 S.D. years (I), in postmenopausal for 14.21+4.24 S.D. years (A), 17+5.56 S.D. years (R), 17+7.12 S.D. years (I). The values of parameters (at the beginning and after 1 year) were:

T score (S.D.): −3.4+0.47→ −2.83+0.54 (A); −3.43+0.33→ −3.36+0.47 (R); −3.24+0.51→ −2.97+0.54 (I).

Osteocalcin (ng/ml): 15.55+8.02→14.21+8.45 (A); 15.33+7.06→13.95+4.87 (R); 16.24+9.37→14.52+9.71 (I)

Cross-laps (ng/ml): 0.63+0.45→0.51+0.5 (A); 0.72+0.67→0.59+0.56 (R); 0.7+0.29→0.63+0.58 (I)

Vitamin D (ng/ml): 16.98+10.36→23.77+11.08 (A); 19.66+8.66→27.37+10.67 (R); 14.18+6.09→20.12+9.44 (I).

Calcemia (mg/dl): 9.54+0.62→9.52+0.6 (A); 9.73+0.49→9.66+0.37 (R); 9.27+0.47→9.48+0.55 (I)

Phosphate (mg/dl): 3.43+0.45→3.41+0.48 (A); 3.33+0.41→3.18+0.44 (R); 3.54+0.46→3.4+0.4 (I)

Conclusions: All three bisphosphonates had benefic effects on bone reflected by an improvement of osteodensitometry score and turn-over markers (reducing their level); vitamin D deficiency was noticed for most women.