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Stories for Reprint
Investing in Your Bones
By Ferdous Al-Faruque, MARRTC Staff
Recent osteoporosis drug research seems to support the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Two studies have found taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis could save people money on future hospital bills. Bisphosphonates are drugs used to reduce bone loss and the subsequent risk of bone fractures from osteoporosis.
One study conducted by pharmaceutical companies and the University of Alabama-Birmingham followed almost 33,000 women above the age of 45 over a three-year period. The study found only 1 in 5 women consistently took their bisphosphonate prescriptions. "Rates of fracture increase if you don't take your medicine as you should," said Jeffrey Curtis, principal investigator of the study. His research suggests taking these drugs consistently can lessen hospitalizations, which means lower overall healthcare costs.
Similarly, a study by pharmaceutical companies and the University of Massachusetts analyzed medical records of over 13,500 people and found that only 2 out of 5 participants took their medication 80 percent of the time. It also found that those who took their medication most consistently were less likely to have fractures and be hospitalized. Though consistently taking the medication meant a 35 percent increase in drug costs, it also meant a 36 percent decrease in outpatient healthcare costs. Overall, those who took their drugs most consistently saved an average of almost $1300 a year in comparison to those who were least consistent. "Many patients with osteoporosis don't take enough of the medication to get the benefit from the medication," said Robert Yood, a co-investigator in the University of Massachusetts study. "Our findings suggest that clinicians and health insurers should expect that most patients who start bisphosphonates will take too little of the medication to receive any benefits."
Yood, who is also Chief of Rheumatology at the Fallon Clinic and a medical professor at the University of Massachusetts, says there may be other compounding factors that may contribute to why people who take bisphosphonates are less likely to have fractures. He suggests that those who consistently take there medication may also be better at maintaining a healthier lifestyle, and may be better at taking calcium and vitamin D to strengthen their bones.
In their most recent survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than a million people were diagnosed in hospitals with a fracture in 2004, more than half those people were above the age of 65.
There are several kinds of bisphosphonate drugs including alendronate, risedronate and ibadronate, more commonly known as Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva.
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