ST. LOUIS, Oct 07 (Reuters Health) -- Men with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis respond to treatment with alendronate, a drug already used to treat the disease in women, US researchers report.
Dr. Eric Orwoll of the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, reported recently at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research that the bisphosphonate alendronate was successful in improving bone density at several sites in the male skeleton, in reducing the incidence of fractures, and in preventing loss of height.
"This is the first documentation of a widely applicable treatment for osteoporotic men," he said in his presentation.
Bisphosphonates, in use for about 10 years, are oral drugs that can prevent the breakdown of bone in patients who have osteoporosis, cancer, Paget's disease, and other bone disorders. Alendronate -- sold under the name Fosamax by Merck & Co. -- is one of several bisphosphonates on the market in the US.
Orwoll and his colleagues studied 241 men, average age 63 years, who had osteoporosis, defined by bone density testing of the thighbone or by a history of osteoporotic fractures. The men were enrolled in the study for 2 years, with 146 taking 10 milligrams of alendronate per day, and 95 taking a placebo, or "dummy" pill. All men in the trial also received vitamin D and calcium supplements.
At the start of the trial, 36% of all the men had low testosterone levels in their blood, which is associated with osteoporosis in men, and 50% had vertebral fractures at that time. The fractures were found by x-ray and were not necessarily symptomatic, Orwoll noted.
Men on alendronate had an increased bone mineral density of 7.1% in their lumbar vertebrae, 2.5% increase at the femoral neck (part of the thighbone), and a 4.4% increase at the trochanter (another part of the thighbone).
In contrast, men on placebo had a bone mineral density increase of only 1.8% at the lumbar spine and 1.3% at the trochanter, and decrease of 0.1% at the femoral neck.
Height loss was four times greater in the men who were taking placebo than in men taking alendronate.
Men who were testosterone-deficient and took alendronate had increases in bone mineral density similar to those men taking alendronate who had normal testosterone levels at the start of the trial, according to the study findings.
Orwoll concluded that alendronate is a safe and effective drug for treatment of osteoporosis in men.
