An Injection a Year May Keep Bone Loss at Bay

May 2, 2007 — -- When it came to her treatment for the bone-weakening condition osteoporosis, 69-year-old Diana Mahon of Pittsburgh took her pills diligently.

But it wasn't always easy. Mahon was taking drugs called bisphosphonates -- pills such as Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva, which are currently the preferred treatment options for osteoporosis.

The drugs worked, but they came with a laundry list of considerations.

The pills, taken either weekly or monthly, need to be ingested on an empty stomach while standing or sitting. Afterward, the patient must not lie down, eat, drink or take other medication for at least half an hour.

"The fact that you have to stand or sit for that time limit was inconvenient at times," Mahon said.

Plus, these drugs have potentially serious gastrointestinal side effects, such as ulcers, heartburn and other problems -- something that Mahon learned firsthand when her drugs sent her to the emergency room with swallowing difficulties.

However, Mahon and the 10 million others like her who have osteoporosis, may have a new, more convenient option to prevent fractures and further bone loss in the near future. And the therapy would require only a yearly visit to the doctor.

But these benefits may not come without a cost. The study found that a certain kind of abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation was more common in patients receiving the drug.

In the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, a study of more than 7,700 postmenopausal women found that a single 15-minute yearly intravenous infusion of zoledronic acid, also known as Zometa or Reclast, reduced spine fractures by 70 percent and hip fractures by 41 percent over a three-year period. These results are similar to those obtained from current osteoporosis drugs.

The new option may prove to be a godsend for patients who simply cannot tolerate taking the oral pills.

According to Dr. Steven Cummings, senior author of the study and emeritus professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California at San Francisco, only 30 percent of patients continue to take the oral medications for an entire year.

"Giving one infusion a year guarantees compliance, which, in turn, increases the effectiveness of treatment -- like an airbag instead of seat belts," Cummings said.