New analysis shows early intervention with Actonel reduces first vertebral fracture risk.(Brief Article)

2002 JUL 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Postmenopausal women with low spinal bone mineral density (BMD) and no previous history of vertebral fracture, who received Actonel (risedronate sodium tablets) 5 mg daily for up to 3 years, were 75% less likely to experience a first vertebral fracture than women in a control group, according to a new analysis.

Published in the June 2002 issue of the journal Osteoporosis International, the results confirm the fracture reduction efficacy of Actonel in patients without vertebral fractures.

Vertebral fractures are among the most common osteoporotic fractures. In the U.S., an estimated 700,000 vertebral fractures occur every year. Data show that among postmenopausal women who sustain a vertebral fracture, one out of five will suffer their next vertebral fracture within just one year, potentially leading to a fracture cascade.

"Osteoporosis, long considered a slow-developing disease, can actually progress quickly once a fracture occurs," said Robert Heaney, MD, of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. "The ability to prevent a first fracture is crucial for clinicians in the fight against osteoporosis. This is ...