As reported in Medical Xpress, researchers are studying how patients using bisphosophonates as part of a treatment regime to avoid fractures associated from osteoporosis are affected by “drug holidays” when patients take hiatuses from the drug in order to mitigate potentially negative consequences and side effects of prolonged, uninterrupted drug use. Scientists at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany have published research in the journal Bone, studying the effect of these ‘drug holidays’ on the user’s risk for such fractures. The researchers found that drug holidays put patients who had already experienced a vertebral fracture at greater risk for major osteoporotic fractures (those of the spine, hip, shoulder, or forearm). However, those who had not had a vertebral fracture did not experience a significant change in risk.
A Hiatus from Bisphosphonates
“In patients who had already had vertebral fractures, the risk of major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) for a time of more than 12 months since the therapy was paused increased 3.5 times compared to the risk in the second half of the first year of the drug holiday.”
“A prevalent vertebral fracture may increase the relative risk of MOFs associated with a longer BP holiday.”
“The findings of our study should be considered in the context of all study reports on long-term therapy with bisphosphonates and bisphosphonate drug holidays. The decision regarding further management of osteoporosis in patients on bisphosphonate therapy should be made individually for each patient based on the benefits and potential risks of the available treatment options, and should be re-evaluated on a periodic basis.”
