Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • First Release
    • Current
    • Archives
    • Collections
    • Audiovisual Rheum
    • 50th Volume Reprints
  • Resources
    • Guide for Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Payment
    • Reviewers
    • Advertisers
    • Classified Ads
    • Reprints and Translations
    • Permissions
    • Meetings
    • FAQ
    • Policies
  • Subscribers
    • Subscription Information
    • Purchase Subscription
    • Your Account
    • Terms and Conditions
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Duncan A. Gordon Award
    • Privacy/GDPR Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • JRheum Supplements
  • Services

User menu

  • My Cart
  • Log In

Search

  • Advanced search
The Journal of Rheumatology
  • JRheum Supplements
  • Services
  • My Cart
  • Log In
The Journal of Rheumatology

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • First Release
    • Current
    • Archives
    • Collections
    • Audiovisual Rheum
    • 50th Volume Reprints
  • Resources
    • Guide for Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Payment
    • Reviewers
    • Advertisers
    • Classified Ads
    • Reprints and Translations
    • Permissions
    • Meetings
    • FAQ
    • Policies
  • Subscribers
    • Subscription Information
    • Purchase Subscription
    • Your Account
    • Terms and Conditions
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Duncan A. Gordon Award
    • Privacy/GDPR Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • Follow Jrheum on BlueSky
  • Follow jrheum on Twitter
  • Visit jrheum on Facebook
  • Follow jrheum on LinkedIn
  • Follow jrheum on YouTube
  • Follow jrheum on Instagram
  • Follow jrheum on RSS
Research ArticleArticle

Alendronate Protects Premenopausal Women from Bone Loss and Fracture Associated with High-dose Glucocorticoid Therapy

YOSUKE OKADA, MASAO NAWATA, SHINGO NAKAYAMADA, KAZUYOSHI SAITO and YOSHIYA TANAKA
The Journal of Rheumatology November 2008, 35 (11) 2249-2254; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.080168
YOSUKE OKADA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
MASAO NAWATA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
SHINGO NAKAYAMADA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
KAZUYOSHI SAITO
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
YOSHIYA TANAKA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: tanaka@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
PreviousNext
Loading

Abstract

Objective

We assessed the efficacy of bisphosphonate in premenopausal women (n = 47) commencing high-dose glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in protection against induced bone loss and bone fracture.

Methods

Subjects had just developed systemic autoimmune diseases and were randomized to be treated with 1 mg/kg/day prednisolone and alfacalcidol 1 μg/day alone (alfacalcidol group; n = 22), or prednisolone and alfacalcidol 1 μg/day with alendronate 5 mg/day (alendronate group; n = 25), each for 18 months.

Results

The percentage changes in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) after 6 months of the therapy were −10.5% ± 0.8% in the alfacalcidol group, but only −2.1% ± 1.2% in the combined group. The rate of bone loss in the lumbar spine was significantly lower in the combined group than in the alfacalcidol group at 6 months. At 12 months of treatment, the percentage change in lumbar spine BMD was increased by 1.7% ± 1.4% in the combined group, but decreased by 9.9% ± 1.9% in the alfacalcidol group; the difference was significant. Bone fracture occurred at 12 months or later in 4 patients of the alfacalcidol groups, but not in the combined group, even at up to 18 months.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that alendronate with alfacalcidol can maintain BMD and protects against high-dose GC-induced bone loss and bone fracture.

Key Indexing Terms:
  • AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
  • ALENDRONATE
  • GLUCOCORTICOID
  • OSTEOPOROSIS
  • WOMEN

Footnotes

  • Y. Okada, MD; M. Nawata, MD; S. Nakayamada, MD; K. Saito, MD; Y. Tanaka, MD, First Department of Internal Medicine.

    • Accepted for publication June 14, 2008.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of Rheumatology
Vol. 35, Issue 11
1 Nov 2008
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by Author
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about The Journal of Rheumatology.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Alendronate Protects Premenopausal Women from Bone Loss and Fracture Associated with High-dose Glucocorticoid Therapy
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from The Journal of Rheumatology
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the The Journal of Rheumatology web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Alendronate Protects Premenopausal Women from Bone Loss and Fracture Associated with High-dose Glucocorticoid Therapy
YOSUKE OKADA, MASAO NAWATA, SHINGO NAKAYAMADA, KAZUYOSHI SAITO, YOSHIYA TANAKA
The Journal of Rheumatology Nov 2008, 35 (11) 2249-2254; DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.080168

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

 Request Permissions

Share
Alendronate Protects Premenopausal Women from Bone Loss and Fracture Associated with High-dose Glucocorticoid Therapy
YOSUKE OKADA, MASAO NAWATA, SHINGO NAKAYAMADA, KAZUYOSHI SAITO, YOSHIYA TANAKA
The Journal of Rheumatology Nov 2008, 35 (11) 2249-2254; DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.080168
del.icio.us logo Twitter logo Facebook logo  logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  •  logo
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Implementation and Evaluation of a Virtual Rheumatology Training Program in East Africa
  • Efficacy of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors for Refractory Leg Ulcers in Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa: A Case Series
  • Experiences With Complementary and Integrative Health Among People With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Qualitative Study
Show more Article

Similar Articles

Content

  • First Release
  • Current
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • Audiovisual Rheum
  • COVID-19 and Rheumatology

Resources

  • Guide for Authors
  • Submit Manuscript
  • Author Payment
  • Reviewers
  • Advertisers
  • Classified Ads
  • Reprints and Translations
  • Permissions
  • Meetings
  • FAQ
  • Policies

Subscribers

  • Subscription Information
  • Purchase Subscription
  • Your Account
  • Terms and Conditions

More

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • My Alerts
  • My Folders
  • Privacy/GDPR Policy
  • RSS Feeds
The Journal of Rheumatology
The content of this site is intended for health care professionals.
Copyright © 2025 by The Journal of Rheumatology Publishing Co. Ltd.
Print ISSN: 0315-162X; Online ISSN: 1499-2752
Powered by HighWire