Osteoporosis drugs could unintentionally be risking lives
A drug commonly used to treat osteoporosis sufferers could be putting users at risk of potentially life-threatening conditions such as blood clots and strokes.
Associate Professor Gustavo Duque, from the University of Sydney, has found that alendronate, a drug commonly used in Australia to treat osteoporosis, can lead to the arrhythmia and the complications associated with it.
“Population studies had already shown that using this osteoporosis drug, known as alendronate, was associated with a higher incidence of arrhythmia, or atrial fibrillation,” A/Professor Duque said.
“What we’ve found for the first time in laboratory experiments is a cause and effect. It appears that these drugs trigger the heart’s atrial cells to become agitated and overexcited, causing a pacemaker-like effect.”
Atrial fibrillation can lead to strokes, as well as blood clots which, if they travel to the brain, cause death. A/Professor Duque said: “Our data represents the first evidence linking alendronate to arrhythmia at the cellular level, however, more experiments in animal and human studies are still needed.”
A/Professor Duque said “patients at high risk should be warned before starting with this particular medication,” but cautioned that more work needed to be done. “Similar medication to alendronate may not pose the same risks.”
This research will be important for the estimated 30 to 35 per cent of over 65-year-olds who suffer from osteoporosis, said A/Professor Duque.
The study was conducted by A/Professor Duque, program director of the Aging Bone Research Program (Sydney Medical School’s Nepean Campus), with colleagues at the University of Sydney and McGill University in Canada. Their results are published in the most recent issue of Vascular Pharmacology.
