Persistent medication use decreases fracture risk in osteoporosis

Women diagnosed with osteoporosis who use osteoporosis medications persistently for at least 60 days have a lower risk for fracture compared with women who do not use their medications persistently, study data show.

Jiannong Liu, PhD, of the Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, and colleagues evaluated data on 294,369 women aged 66 years or older diagnosed with osteoporosis who initiated osteoporosis medications from 2009 to 2011. Participants were covered by Medicare Part A, Part B or Part D for at least 1 year before the medication initiation date to determine medication persistence and fracture risk. Follow-up was conducted until death; diagnosis of Paget’s disease, hypercalcemia or cancer; loss of Medicare coverage; 18 months of follow-up; or the end of 2012.

Continuous use of medication for at least 60 days was used to define medication persistence; 32.9% of participants could be classified in the persistent group.

Fracture rates were high in the 6 months before medication initiation and decreased through follow-up by 74.4% in the persistent group and by 61.6% in the nonpersistent group. Compared with the 7 to 12 months before medication initiation, fracture rates decreased by 38% in the persistent group and by 18.4% in the nonpersistent group in the sensitivity analysis. Researchers concluded that persistent osteoporosis medication use was more effective in reducing the risk for fracture compared with nonpersistent use (P < .0001). – by Amber Cox

Reference:

Liu J, et al. Abstract 1035. Presented at: American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting; Sept. 8-11, 2017; Denver.

Disclosure: Liu reports no relevant financial disclosures.