Effects of one-year cyclical treatment with clodronate on postmenopausal bone loss.
We studied 60 women with postmenopausal bone loss randomly allocated to the following treatments: Group 1 (20 patients), no treatment; Group 2 (20 patients), clodronate 400 mg daily by mouth for 30 consecutive days, followed by 60 days of no treatment; Group 3 (20 patients) oral calcitriol 2 mcg by mouth for 5 days and oral clodronate 400 mg daily for additional 25 days, followed by 60 days of no treatment. The therapeutic cycles were repeated four times in the 12-month study period. In the 36 treated patients of Groups 2 and 3 who completed the study period we observed a progressive and significant increase in lumbar bone density both at 6 and 12 months of therapy, without significant differences between the two treatment protocols (+3.88 +/- 0.65%, P < 0.001 and +3.21 +/- 0.89%, P < 0.005 in Groups 2 and 3, respectively, at the end of the study). In contrast, there was a progressive and significant decline of bone mineral density in untreated patients (-2.34 +/- 0.49%, P < 0.001). After 12 months serum calcium values in treated subjects were higher than in untreated patients (P < 0.05). Serum phosphate was raised only in Group 2, mean values being higher after 12 months than before treatment (P < 0.05); parathyroid hormone (PTH) declined in all treated patients, the fall being significant in Group 2 (P < 0.02). No important side effects were observed with treatment and no patient withdrew because of these. We conclude that cyclical low dose clodronate therapy induced a gain in lumbar spine bone mass in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Giannini
S
S
Institute of Internal Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.
D'Angelo
A
A
Malvasi
L
L
Castrignano
R
R
Pati
T
T
Tronca
R
R
Liberto
L
L
Nobile
M
M
Crepaldi
G
G
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood
D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010710:Phosphates; D004002:Clodronic Acid; D002117:Calcitriol