title: Alendronate is more effective than elcatonin in improving pain and quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
abstract: A randomized controlled trial was performed to compare the short-term effects of alendronate (ALN) and ECT on pain and quality of life (QOL) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Back pain and QOL [Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8)] significantly improved at 1, 3, and 6 months in both groups, with greater improvements in the ALN group than in the ECT group. These results suggested that ALN reduced back pain and improved QOL more markedly than ECT in postmenopausal osteoporotic women with back pain.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Intramuscular ECT is known to reduce pain via the central nervous system. A multicenter randomized controlled trial was performed to compare the short-term effects of ALN and ECT on pain and QOL in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and 94 postmenopausal osteoporotic women with back pain (mean age 79.8 years, range 60-96 years) were randomly divided into two groups: the ALN group (35 mg weekly) and the ECT group (intramuscular 20 units a week). The duration of the study was 6 months. The trial was completed in 97 (100%) women of the ALN group and 96 (99.0%) women of the ECT group. Urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), face scale score (FSS, back pain), and SF-8 (QOL) were monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urinary NTX levels significantly decreased at 3 months in the ALN group, but not in the ECT group. Serum ALP levels significantly decreased at 6 months in the both groups, with a greater reduction in the ALN group. The FSS and SF-8 significantly improved at 1, 3, and 6 months in both groups, with greater improvements in the ALN group than in the ECT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALN suppressed bone turnover, reduced back pain, and improved QOL more markedly than ECT in postmenopausal osteoporotic women with back pain.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Integrated Sports Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. jiwamoto@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001416:Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010455:Peptides / Q000652:urine; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D010455:Peptides; C052929:collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide; D002116:Calcitonin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; C012755:elcatonin; D019386:Alendronate