The effects of intravenous zoledronic acid in Chinese women with postmenopausal osteoporosis

J Bone Miner Metab. 2011 May;29(3):328-33. doi: 10.1007/s00774-010-0223-y. Epub 2010 Oct 5.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a once-yearly zoledronic acid treatment for Chinese women with postmenopausal osteoporosis in Taiwan and Hong Kong. This post hoc subpopulation analysis, from the Health Outcome and Reduced Incidence with Zoledronic Acid One Yearly Pivotal Fracture Trial, enrolled 323 Chinese women with osteoporosis who were randomly given either annual infusions of zoledronic acid or placebo for 3 consecutive years. The incidence of fractures and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) were measured; adverse events (AEs) and tolerability were recorded and assessed. The results of this study at 36 months demonstrate that there was a significantly reduced risk of morphometric vertebral fracture and clinical vertebral fracture in subjects treated with zoledronic acid (P < 0.05). In addition, there were significant increases of BMD by 4.9%, 4.3%, and 7.0% in the total hip, femoral neck, and trochanter, respectively, in the zoledronic acid group compared with the placebo group (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). The incidences of AEs were comparable between the two groups. Thus, once-yearly zoledronic acid treatment showed bone protection effects by reducing the risk of vertebral fracture and increasing BMD in Chinese women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Asian People
  • Bone Density
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / administration & dosage
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / adverse effects
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / therapeutic use
  • China / epidemiology
  • Demography
  • Diphosphonates / administration & dosage
  • Diphosphonates / adverse effects
  • Diphosphonates / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Femoral Neck Fractures / complications
  • Femoral Neck Fractures / epidemiology
  • Hip Fractures / complications
  • Hip Fractures / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / administration & dosage
  • Imidazoles / adverse effects
  • Imidazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Incidence
  • Injections, Intravenous
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / complications
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / drug therapy*
  • Zoledronic Acid

Substances

  • Bone Density Conservation Agents
  • Diphosphonates
  • Imidazoles
  • Zoledronic Acid