title: Assessment of adherence to treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis with raloxifene and/or alfacalcidol in postmenopausal Japanese women.
abstract: Patients who are diagnosed with osteoporosis and beginning treatment often discontinue their osteoporosis medication relatively early after the start of treatment because of their poor recognition of fracture risk and the asymptomatic nature of osteoporosis. In this study we aimed to assess adherence to treatment with 1 microg alfacalcidol (D), 60 mg raloxifene (R) or a combination of both (D + R) for 1 year in postmenopausal Japanese women with osteoporosis or osteopenia. We defined persistence of D and R as continuing to take tablets for more than 7 of any 14 days immediately before the 1-year visit. A total of 137 subjects aged 49-81 years [64.9 +/- 7.0 years, 16.0 +/- 12.7 years since menopause (YSM)] were randomly assigned to each treatment group. The proportions persisting with each treatment group at 1 year were 61.4, 65.3, 55.1% for D, R and D + R groups, respectively whereas the compliance to each therapy as judged by the medical possession ratio (MPR) at 1 year were 77.5, 93.8, 78.4%, respectively. There were no significant differences in persistence, compliance and the number of subjects who discontinued treatment due to adverse events among each group. We found significant inverse correlations in percent changes at 1 year between compliance and serum BAP in R and D + R groups or urinary (u-) CTX in the R group. The changes in the level of serum BAP and u-CTX were significantly higher in high-compliance patients (MPR > 80%) treated with raloxifene alone or concomitantly with alfacalcidol compared to those in low-compliance patients.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International University of Health and Welfare Atami Hospital, 13-1 Higashi-Kaigancho, Atami, Shizuoka, 413-0012, Japan. I.gorai@iuhw.ac.jp
authors: Itsuo
authors: I
authors: Gorai
authors: Yaku
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: Shin
authors: S
authors: Hattori
authors: Yasuhisa
authors: Y
authors: Iwaoki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine; D001862:Bone Resorption; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000652:urine; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; C008088:alfacalcidol