title: Effects of continuing or stopping alendronate after 5 years of treatment: the Fracture Intervention Trial Long-term Extension (FLEX): a randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal duration of treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis is uncertain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of discontinuing alendronate treatment after 5 years vs continuing for 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, double-blind trial conducted at 10 US clinical centers that participated in the Fracture Intervention Trial (FIT).
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand ninety-nine postmenopausal women who had been randomized to alendronate in FIT, with a mean of 5 years of prior alendronate treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomization to alendronate, 5 mg/d (n = 329) or 10 mg/d (n = 333), or placebo (n = 437) for 5 years (1998-2003).
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome measure was total hip bone mineral density (BMD); secondary measures were BMD at other sites and biochemical markers of bone remodeling. An exploratory outcome measure was fracture incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with continuing alendronate, switching to placebo for 5 years resulted in declines in BMD at the total hip (-2.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.9% to -1.8%; P<.001) and spine (-3.7%; 95% CI, -4.5% to -3.0%; P<.001), but mean levels remained at or above pretreatment levels 10 years earlier. Similarly, those discontinuing alendronate had increased serum markers of bone turnover compared with continuing alendronate: 55.6% (P<.001) for C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen, 59.5% (P < .001) for serum n = propeptide of type 1 collagen, and 28.1% (P<.001) for bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, but after 5 years without therapy, bone marker levels remained somewhat below pretreatment levels 10 years earlier. After 5 years, the cumulative risk of nonvertebral fractures (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.76-1.32) was not significantly different between those continuing (19%) and discontinuing (18.9%) alendronate. Among those who continued, there was a significantly lower risk of clinically recognized vertebral fractures (5.3% for placebo and 2.4% for alendronate; RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.24-0.85) but no significant reduction in morphometric vertebral fractures (11.3% for placebo and 9.8% for alendronate; RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.60-1.22). A small sample of 18 transilial bone biopsies did not show any qualitative abnormalities, with bone turnover (double labeling) seen in all specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women who discontinued alendronate after 5 years showed a moderate decline in BMD and a gradual rise in biochemical markers but no higher fracture risk other than for clinical vertebral fractures compared with those who continued alendronate. These results suggest that for many women, discontinuation of alendronate for up to 5 years does not appear to significantly increase fracture risk. However, women at very high risk of clinical vertebral fractures may benefit by continuing beyond 5 years.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT 00398931.
authors.affiliation: San Francisco Coordinating Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. dblack@psg.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Dennis M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Ann V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Kristine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ensrud
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cauley
authors.forename: Silvina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levis
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satterfield
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Lois E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Wehren
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Arthur C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Santora
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cummings
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019386:Alendronate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000473:pathology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy; D017698:Postmenopause; D012306:Risk; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D019386:Alendronate