Preventing postmenopausal bone loss with ossein-hydroxyapatite compounds -Results of a two-year, prospective trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, in postmenopausal women who refuse hormone replacem ent therapy (HRT), whether continuous administration of an ossein-hydroxyap atite compound (OHC) reduces bone loss and protects from osteoporosis. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty postmenopausal women were included in an open study and were allocated to three groups. The first group (n = 19) received treatmen t consisting in 3.32 g/d of OHC per day, the second group (n=21) received 2 .5 g of calcium carbonate per day, and the third group (n = 20) was a treat ment-free control group. Bone mineral density (BMD), assessed by dual x-ray absorptiometry, was measured prior to and at 12 and 24 months of treatment . RESULTS: Subjects on OHC therapy did not show significant changes related t o baseline on bone mass across the study, whereas a significant decrease wa s detected in the calcium carbonate group during the second year (- 3.7%, P <.05) and in the control group at the first and second BMD measurement (-3 .5%, P<.05; -5.6%, P<.01). CONCLUSION: Continuous administration of OHC prevents bone loss in postmeno pausal women, suggesting that this drug may be useful in the management of postmenopausal bone loss.