title: Renal safety of intravenous bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis.
abstract: Oral bisphosphonates are the mainstay of treatment for osteoporosis but cannot be used in some patients due to gastrointestinal contraindications, gastrointestinal intolerance, malabsorption or the inability to comply with dosing requirements. In such patients, intravenous bisphosphonates are a useful alternative. This review summarises the renal safety issues associated with the use of intravenous bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. Intravenous bisphosphonates are generally well tolerated, which may be a reflection of their selective activity in bone and metabolic stability. Adverse effects on renal function are primarily related to infusion rate and dose. Due to lack of data, no conclusions can be made regarding bisphosphonate safety in patients with intrinsic renal disease or an estimated glomerular filtration rate of < 30 ml/min.
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. LEWIECKI@aol.com
authors.forename: E Michael
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lewiecki
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates