Bisphosphonates in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis to Prevent Future Fractures

Postmenopausal women who have osteoporosis are at increased risk of future fractures. Bisphosphonates are drugs that are used to treat osteoporosis by acting on the osteoclasts to inhibit bone resorption. Several studies have shown that bisphosphonate s can maintain or even increase bone mineral density in osteoporosis patients. This review study analyzed the literature on clinical experiments with bisphosphonate therapy in postmenopausal women to determine if these drugs are efficacious in preventing f uture fractures. Four out of five studies found that women treated with bisphosphonates were at decreased risk of future fractures, and six of six studies found that bisphosphonate therapy increases bone mineral density relative to placebo control. Althoug h further work is warranted to understand the level of bone mineral density increase that is associated with fracture prevention, this study implies that bisphosphonate therapy can be used to help prevent future fractures in postmenopausal osteoporotic wom en. The study is significant in that it helps to underscore the efficacy of bisphosphonate therapy in postmenopausal women, and it may be generalizable to other populations with osteopo s rosis who are at increased risk of fractures.