Strontium Ranelate May Be Helpful for Post – menopausal Osteoporosis
Reported August 22, 2008
August 22, 2008 — Strontium ranelate is effective in younger postmenopausal women aged 50 to 65 years with severe osteoporosis, according to the results of a study reported in the August 19 Online First issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
“Early osteoporotic fractures have a great impact on the disease progression, the first fracture being a major risk factor for further fractures,” write Christian Roux, from Université Paris-Descartes in Paris, France, and colleagues. “Subsequently, the efficacy of antiosteoporotic treatments in the younger women appears of utmost interest. Strontium ranelate is an antiosteoporotic treatment, simultaneously reducing bone resorption while promoting bone formation.”
In the Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention, an international, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, strontium ranelate 2 g/day orally was effective in reducing the risk for vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and a prevalent vertebral fracture. The present analysis included data collected during 4 years in 353 women aged 50 to 65 years who were enrolled and randomly assigned in the Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention.
During a 4-year period, treatment with strontium ranelate was associated with a significantly reduced risk for vertebral fracture by 35% (relative risk, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.42 – 0.99; P < .05). During the same time frame, the mean increase in bone mineral density from baseline in the strontium ranelate group was by 15.8% at the lumbar spine and 7.1% at the femoral neck.
Limitations of this study include possible overestimation of bone mineral density measurement because strontium is a heavier element than calcium.
“Our study indicates a significant efficacy of strontium ranelate in reducing the risk of subsequent vertebral fractures in young postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis,” the study authors write. “These data together with previous reports confirm the efficacy of this antiosteoporotic drug at all ages.”