Ann Geriatr Med Res.  2016 Sep;20(3):131-136. 10.4235/agmr.2016.20.3.131.

The Effects of Low-Dose Bisphosphonate Treatment on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Turnover Markers in Elderly Patients With Osteoporosis

• Lee SY
• Kim KM
• Kong SH
• Oh TJ
• Moon JH
• Choi SH
• Lim S
• Jang HC

• KMID: 2415690
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4235/agmr.2016.20.3.131

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Osteoporosis is commonly treated with bisphosphonates. These drugs promote osteoclast apoptosis, which suppresses bone resorption. However, the probability of side effects increases with long-term use of bisphosphonates. There are several reports in Asia that show comparable effects between low and conventional doses of bisphosphonates; however, such reports are lacking in Korea. Here, we report a case series of 7 patients with osteoporosis "” all women aged over 70 years "” who were treated with bisphosphonates administered every other week.
METHODS
Patients who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis and treated with a less frequent dose of bisphosphonates at a tertiary university hospital from January 2010 to May 2016 were included in this study. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed at the baseline and at a 12-month interval after the first administration of low-dose bisphosphonates by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The bone turnover marker C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) was evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months after the first administration.
RESULTS
After 12 months of treatment with a lower dose of bisphosphonates, BMD increased and CTX levels were suppressed. The mean change in BMD was 4.0% at the lumbar spine, 3.1% at the femur neck, and 1.5% at the total hip; CTX was suppressed by 34% at 3 months, 42% at 6 months, and 44% at the end of the treatment.
CONCLUSION
We found that low-dose bisphosphonate therapy improved BMD and suppressed bone turnover rates in elderly Korean women.

Keyword

Frail elderly; Bone mineral density; Bisphosphonates

MeSH Terms

Absorptiometry, Photon
Aged*
Apoptosis
Asia
Bone Density*
Bone Remodeling*
Bone Resorption
Diphosphonates
Female
Femur Neck
Frail Elderly
Hip
Humans
Korea
Osteoclasts
Osteoporosis*
Spine
Diphosphonates