Bone Abstracts

Objective: To analyze the effects of statins on bone mineral density (BMD), in participants from a large population-based cohort.

Subjects and methods: We studied 2315 subjects (1422 women and 893 men) from the Camargo Cohort, and analyzed the differences in BMD between statin or non-statin users. We also studied the effect of the type of statin, dose, pharmacokinetic properties, and length of treatment, on BMD.

Results: Four hundred and seventy-eight subjects (21%) were on statins (256 women and 222 men). Overall, they had higher BMD than non-users (P<0.0001). In adjusted multivariate models women on statins had higher BMD at femoral neck (P=0.002) and total hip (P=0.04) than non-users. No differences were found in men. Simvastatin induced higher increases in BMD than non-statin use at femoral neck (P=0.02), and total hip (P=0.009), fluvastatin induced lower BMD values at lumbar spine (P=0.028), and lovastatin led to higher increases at femoral neck (P=0.006), in women. In men, solely atorvastatin was associated with higher femoral neck BMD than non-statin use (P=0.029). Comparing with non-statin users, only lipophilic statins increased BMD at femoral neck in women (P=0.003) but not in men. According to drug-potency, women on high- or lower-potency agents showed higher BMD values at femoral neck than non-users (P=0.028 and 0.022 respectively). In men, only high-potency statins were associated with higher femoral neck BMD than non-use (P=0.021). No differences between dose or length of statin therapy were noted regarding BMD in either sex.

Conclusions: In a large population-based cohort, women on statins had higher BMD at the hip than non-users. Overall, this increase in BMD was more evident in subjects on lipophilic or high-potency statins.

Supported by a grant from ‘ISCIII’. Spain (PI11/01092).