title: [Clinical trials of alendronate].
abstract: A number of large scale double-blind controlled studies with alendronate were carried out to evaluate therapeutic efficacy for osteoporotics. Alendronate administered orally at 5 mg per day for 7 years induced an average 8.2% increase of bone mineral density in the spine and 2.6% in the hip. Alendronate given orally for 4 years decreased significantly by 44% the occurrence of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in patients with low bone mineral density and at least one fracture. In patients without any fracture, the results were significant for non-vertebral fractures when initial BMD was low. In histomorphometry with iliac bone biopsies, mineralization was normal, and trabecular bone turnover markedly decreased in patients receiving long-term dosing with alendronate. Alendronate is expected to have a potency to inhibit bone fracture occurrence in Japanese osteoporotics safely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teshima
mesh_terms: D019386:Alendronate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D019386:Alendronate