Long-term Bisphosphonate Therapy Causes Fracture Worry for Patients

Long-term bisphosphonate therapy has been found to be dangerous to the bone health of patients, medical experts confirm, citing various studies showing the peril they pose. This issue has caused many cases to be brought forth by plaintiffs, such as, the class action lawsuits against Fosamax manufacturer Merck.

Studies have shown that long-term bisphosphonate therapy lasting more than five years has been linked to atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures. Experts believe this is due to the medications normal effect of interfering with normal bone turnover which made the femur bones prone to atypical fractures.

Bisphosphonates work by preventing normal turnover of bone cells and thus helps to maintain bone density by retaining calcium in bones. It has also been used to treat certain types of cancer and treat osteopenia and other diseases involving bone brittleness.

URL Reference:

aaos.org/news/aaosnow/dec11/clinical9.asp