News: Comparing osteoporosis drugs

It seems little difference exists in available osteoporosis drugs when it comes to prevention of nonvertebral fractures.

A recent cohort study involving over 43,000 new recipients of oral bisphosphonates, nasal calcitonin, and raloxifene who began treatment between the years 2000 and 2005 found that differences in the risk of fracture of the hip, humerus, radius, or ulna between risedronate or raloxifene and alendronate are small, and that women taking nasal calcitonin may be at higher risk for nonvertebral fractures than women taking alendronate.

The authors calculated hazard ratios (HR) for risedronate and raloxifene of 1.01 and 1.18, respectively. Among women with a previous fracture, those taking raloxifene experienced more nonvertebral fractures within 12 months (HR 1.78; CI, 1.20–2.63) than those taking alendronate. Women taking calcitonin were at about 40% higher risk for nonvertebral fractures than those taking alendronate (HR 1.40; CI, 1.20–1.63), but the authors concluded that additional studies that can better adjust for potential confounding are necessary to confirm these results.