title: Incidence and Duration of Cumulative Bisphosphonate Use among Community-Dwelling Persons with or without Alzheimer's Disease.
abstract: We studied the incidence and duration of cumulative bisphosphonate use among older Finnish women and men with or without Alzheimer's disease (AD). The MEDALZ-2005 cohort is a nationwide sample of all persons with clinically diagnosed AD on 31 December 2005 and their age-, gender-, and region of residence-matched control persons without AD. Information on bisphosphonate use by persons with an AD diagnosis and their controls without AD during 2002-2009 was obtained from the prescription register database containing reimbursed medications. A total of 6,041 (11.8%) persons used bisphosphonates during the 8-year follow-up. Bisphosphonates were more commonly used among persons without AD (n = 3121, 12.3%) than among persons with AD (n = 2,920, 11.2%) (p = 0.001). The median duration of bisphosphonate use was 743 days (IQR). Among persons with AD, the median duration of use was 777 days (IQR) and among persons without AD, 701 days (IQR) (p = 0.011). People without AD more often used bisphosphonate combination preparations including vitamin D than did people with AD (p <  0.0001). Bisphosphonate use was more common among people without AD who had comorbidities, asthma/COPD, or rheumatoid arthritis compared with users with AD. Short-term users were more likely to be male, at least 80 years old, and not having AD. Although the incidence of bisphosphonate use was slightly higher among persons without AD, the cumulative duration of bisphosphonate use was longer in persons with AD. Short-term use was associated with male gender, older age, and not having AD.
authors.affiliation: Kuopio Research Centre of Geriatric Care, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tiihonen
authors.affiliation: Kuopio Research Centre of Geriatric Care, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Research Centre for Comparative Effectiveness and Patient Safety (RECEPS), University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taipale
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden.|National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|University of Eastern Finland, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanskanen
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden.|University of Eastern Finland, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiihonen
authors.affiliation: Kuopio Research Centre of Geriatric Care, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D062313:Databases, Pharmaceutical; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; bisphosphonates; community dwelling; osteoporosis