Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Prevention of Bone Loss with Risedronate in Glucocorticoid-Treated Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Osteoporosis International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract:

The aim of the study was to assess risedronate’s effect on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis receiving glucocorticoids. We carried out a two center, 2 year, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial with a third year of nontreatment follow-up. We studied 120 women requiring long-term glucocorticoid therapy at >2.5 mg/day prednisolone randomized to treatment with daily placebo; daily 2.5 mg risedronate; or cyclical 15 mg risedronate (2 out of 12 weeks). At 97 weeks, bone mineral density was maintained at the lumbar spine (+1.4%) and trochanter (+0.4%) in the daily 2.5 mg risedronate group, while significant bone loss occurred in the placebo group (–1.6%, p= 0.03; and 4.0%, p<0.005, respectively). At the femoral neck, there was a nonsignificant bone loss in the daily 2.5 mg risedronate group (–1.0%) while in the placebo group bone mass decreased significantly (–3.6%, p<0.001). The difference between placebo and daily 2.5 mg risedronate groups was significant at the lumbar spine (p= 0.009) and trochanter (p= 0.02) but did not reach statistical significance at the femoral neck. Although not significantly different from placebo at the lumbar spine, the overall effect of the cyclical regimen was similar to that of the daily 2.5 mg risedronate regimen. Treatment withdrawal led to bone loss in the risedronate groups that was significant at the lumbar spine. A similar number of patients experienced adverse events (including upper gastrointestinal events) across treatment groups and risedronate was generally well tolerated. Thus risedronate preserves bone mass in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis receiving glucocorticoids while patients receiving a placebo have significant bone loss.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received: 2 June 1999 / Accepted: 29 September 1999

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eastell, R., Devogelaer, JP., Peel, N. et al. Prevention of Bone Loss with Risedronate in Glucocorticoid-Treated Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients . Osteoporos Int 11, 331–337 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001980070122

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001980070122

Navigation