Alendronate improves QOL of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
OBJECTIVE
Postmenopausal osteoporosis causes bone fracture as well as pain, physical, psychological and socially adverse effects, which affects a patient's quality of life (QOL). The effect of alendronate on QOL was investigated compared with that of alfacalcidol in post-menopausal osteoporotic women.


METHODS
A total of 44 postmenopausal osteoporotic women (mean age 69.8 years) with back or joint pain, although capable of walking, were randomly assigned to two groups; group A (n=25) received 5 mg/day of alendronate, and group B (n=19) received 0.5 microg/day of alfacalcidol, for the first 4 months. For the following 2 months, the group A received 0.5 microg/day of alfacalcidol and the group B received 5 mg/day of alendronate in a crossover design. The patient's QOL was evaluated by score of Japanese Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (JOQOL), and pain intensity using a visual analog scale (VAS). Bone metabolism was measured by bone mineral density (BMD) and a biomarker for bone resorption, urinary crosslinked N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX).


RESULTS
With 4-month treatment, alendronate, but not alfacalcidol, improved pain-related QOL, reduced joint pain by VAS, and increased bone mineral density. Both treatments significantly reduced bone resorption, the inhibition was significantly higher with alendronate (-56.5%) compared with alfacalcidol (-18.1%). After crossover, the patients in group A received alfacalcidol and had a reduced total and daily living activity-related QOL scores, and increased upper back pain by VAS. The group B received alendronate had significantly reduced bone resorption after the 2 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Alendronate improves the QOL of Japanese postmenopausal women with osteoporosis by reducing pain intensity as well as increasing bone mineral density.
Kawate
Hisaya
H
Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, and Internal Medicine, Haradoi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan. kawate@intmed3.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Ohnaka
Keizo
K
Adachi
Masahiro
M
Kono
Suminori
S
Ikematsu
Hideyuki
H
Matsuo
Hisashi
H
Higuchi
Kazumi
K
Takayama
Takehiko
T
Takayanagi
Ryoichi
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019386:Alendronate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D019386:Alendronate
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