title: Comparison of gastrointestinal symptoms at daily 10 mg versus weekly 70 mg Alendronate prescription in 195 osteoporotic cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporosis is defined as a reduction of bone density or the presence of a fragility fracture. One class of new antiosteoporotic drugs is the bisphosphonates. Oral bisphosphonates seems to induce serious gastrointestinal (GI) side effects in some patients. The aim of the study is to comparison the GI symptoms of Alendronate daily 10mg versus weekly 70mg administration in osteoporotic patients during 8 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a clinical trial study that was conducted in the department of Internal Medicine, Shohada Ashayer Hospital, Khorramabad, Iran, 2002-2007. 195 osteoporotic patients selected for this study. They separated in three groups (first group: Placebo for eight weeks, 2 nd group 70 mg Alendronate at single dose per weeks for eight weeks and 3 rd group 10 mg Alendronate per day for 8 weeks). Then GI symptoms were detected for each person at different groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Data was analyzed with Chi-square test and ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  comparison of mean of complications between groups shows that the patients in placebo group had lesser complications (P < 0.001). Comparison of each symptom between patients in 2 nd and 3 rd groups shows that only eructation had lesser frequency in first group of patients and other complications had not significant difference during 8 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  there is significant differences in GI symptoms between placebo and Alendronate but between Alendronate in doses of 10mg per day and 70 mg per week had not significant difference. Using of Alendronate must be cautiously because of producing severe GI disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Aref Hosseinian
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Amiri
authors.forename: Mohammad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tarrahi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019386:Alendronate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D019386:Alendronate