Evaluation of fracture risk and potential drug holidays for postmenopausal women on long-term bisphosphonate therapy
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Issue Date
2014-04-28Author
Kostoff, Matthew D.
Saseen, Joseph J.
Borgelt, Laura M.
Publisher
Dove Medical Press
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Study objective: To describe characteristics of postmenopausal women on long-term bisphosphonate therapy who fall into one of four fracture risk categories (low, mild, moderate, high), and to determine the prevalence of women eligible for a drug holiday.
Design: Retrospective electronic health record review.
Setting: Eight primary care clinics within a university-based health care system.
Patients: A total of 201 postmenopausal women of ages 55–89 years, with osteopenia or osteoporosis, prescribed bisphosphonate therapy for >4 years, between October 10, 2002 and September 9, 2012.
Main results: The patients' mean age was 71.4 (±8.2) years; their mean body mass index was 25.3 (±5.6) kg/m2; and 73.1% were white. Seventy-four out of 201 patients (36.8%) were low-risk; 10/201 (5.0%) were mild-risk; 72/201 (35.8%) were moderate-risk; and 45/201 (22.4%) were high-risk. Eighty-one women (40.3%) were eligible for a drug holiday or discontinuation. The estimated drug cost avoided per eligible patient was $574.80. Calcium and/or vitamin D supplementation was documented in 52.7% of women.
Conclusion: More than one-third of postmenopausal women taking long-term bisphosphonate therapy had low fracture risk, and over 40% of our patients were eligble for a drug holiday or discontinuation. These data emphasize the need to accurately assess risk and benefit in patients treated with bisphosphonate therapy.
Description
This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.dovepress.com/evaluation-of-fracture-risk-and-potential-drug-holidays-for-postmenopa-peer-reviewed-article-IJWH
ISSN
1179-1411Collections
- Pharmacy Scholarly Works [293]
Citation
Kostoff, Matthew D. et al. (2014). E
valuation of fracture risk and potential
drug holidays for postmenopausal women
on long-term bisphosphonate therapy. International Journal of Women's Health 6:423-428. http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S57549
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