Denosumab and alendronate provide similar fracture outcomes: study

Better bone mineral density may not necessarily translate into fewer fractures, authors say
Reuters Health

Rates of osteoporotic fracture are similar three years after starting either denosumab or alendronate, according to a real-world Danish population-based cohort study.

Using national registries, the team investigated fracture risk in people aged 50 and older (mean age 71, 81% female) who were starting denosumab (4624 patients) or alendronate (87,731 patients).

The three-year cumulative incidence of hospitalisation for hip fracture was 3.7% in the denosumab cohort and 3.1% in the alendronate cohort — a difference that did not reach statistical significance.

Meanwhile, the cumulative incidence of hospital attendance for any fracture was 9.0% for both cohorts, the authors reported in JAMA Network Open.