Osteoporosis drugs remain effective ‘regardless of age’
The finding 'goes against a common misconception' that anti-osteoporotic medications are less effective in older patients, researchers say.
Anti-osteoporotic medicines are equally effective in older adults as patients under 70, with UK and US researchers reporting similar fracture risk reductions in both age groups.
The results of their analysis “strongly support” the use of osteoporosis treatments including bisphosphonates in over-70s, the team said.
“These are important findings with potential impact in patient treatment since it goes against a common misconception that medications are less effective in older people,” they wrote in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
The authors used data from 123,000 participants — 99% were women — from 23 randomised controlled trials to assess the efficacy of osteoporosis medicines on fracture risk and bone mineral density (BMD).
