http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL96693020080709 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Prolonged use of Fosamax, also referred to by the generic name bisphosphonate alendronate, may increase the risk of fractures of the femur, the large thigh bone that connects the leg to the hip, according to physicians at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
There has been a build-up of evidence suggesting that long-term alendronate use may overly suppress bone metabolism, limiting the repair of microdamage and increasing the risk of fractures, Dr. Joseph M. Lane and colleagues report in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
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Lane and his associates call for further research to determine if this effect is associated with all bisphosphonate drugs and if it became apparent first with alendronate because this drug has been available for the longest time and is the most widely used.
In the meantime, "physicians prescribing bisphosphonates for longer durations should monitor patients for indications of bone regeneration," Lane advises in a university press release. If a blood test shows a low level of bone turnover, he recommends that bisphosphonates be discontinued until levels return to normal.
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