A. Heaney et al., LONG-TERM EFFICACY OF CYCLICAL ETIDRONATE THERAPY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS, Irish journal of medical science, 166(4), 1997, pp. 257-259
Sixty-two women (mean age 68.7 +/- 0.9 yr) with postmenopausal spinal
osteoporosis were treated with cyclical etidronate therapy (400 mg for
2 weeks alternating with 12 weeks of 1 gm elemental calcium and 400 I
U Vitamin D3) for a minimum of 2 yr. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the
lumbar spine (g/cm(2)) increased significantly (p<0.0001) after yr 1
(4.1 +/- 0.5 per cent) and yr 2 compared with yr 1 (2.2 +/- 0.5 per ce
nt). The response rate was 89 per cent after yr 1 and 84 per cent afte
r yr 2. BMD of the hip (30 patients) increased by 1.5 +/- 0.9 per cent
after yr 1 and 5.5 +/- 1.1 per cent (p<0.0001) after yr 2 when compar
ed with baseline. The response rate was 63 per cent after yr 1 and 80
per cent after yr 2, Smaller numbers of patients continued with treatm
ent up to 4 yr with no adverse long-term effects.