Bisphosphonate drug may reduce bone loss in women with rheumatoid arthritis on glucocorticoids

A monthly oral osteoporosis drug called ibandronate seems to reduce bone loss in women with rheumatoid arthritis and osteopenia who are on steroids called glucocorticoids.A total of 167 women were split into groups. Half received ibandronate and the others were given a pretend drug every four weeks. All of the women had taken glucocorticoid for over three months before the study began. Both groups had daily calcium carbonate and cholecalciferol.

“Monthly oral ibandronate for 48 weeks is well tolerated and effective in reducing bone mineral loss in women with rheumatoid arthritis on long-term glucocorticoid therapy,” the authors explain. “Longer follow-up studies are needed to investigate the benefit of ibandronate on fracture rate reduction in this subset of patients.”

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