title: Efficacy of risedronate on clinical vertebral fractures within six months.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postmenopausal osteoporotic women with pre-existing or new incident vertebral fractures are at high risk for future fracture, so prompt treatment is warranted. Risedronate has been shown to reduce the incidence of radiographically-defined vertebral fractures by approximately two-thirds within 1 year.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined the effects of risedronate treatment on the time course of the reduction in the risk of clinical vertebral fractures (i.e., symptomatic fractures), on the risk of moderate-to-severe radiographic vertebral fractures, and on height.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2442 postmenopausal women with prevalent vertebral fractures from the Vertebral Efficacy with Risedronate Therapy (VERT) studies who received either risedronate 5 mg or placebo, daily risedronate reduced the risk of clinical vertebral fractures within 6 months (RR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.63), and by 69% at 1 year (RR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.12, 0.78). At 1 year, risedronate also reduced the risk of moderate-to-severe radiographically-defined vertebral fractures by 71% (RR = 0.29 95% CI 0.16, 0.54). Height loss was attenuated with treatment, most notably in patients who experienced new vertebral fractures, with a median difference of 0.73 cm compared with subjects receiving placebo (p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Risedronate reduces the risk of clinical vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis within 6 months of commencing treatment.
authors.affiliation: Cochin Hospital, René Descartes University, Paris, France. christian.roux@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: Ego
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seeman
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eastell
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Rebecca D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Felsenberg
authors.forename: Suthin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Songcharoen
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzoli
authors.forename: Ombretta
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Di Munno
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horlait
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valent
authors.forename: Nelson B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Watts
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D012968:Etidronic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011859:Radiography; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D000068296:Risedronic Acid; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000068296:Risedronic Acid; D012968:Etidronic Acid