NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) showed signs of counteracting the effects of bisphosphonate on bone, according to new research.
An exploratory post hoc analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial (RCT) found women taking clodronate plus an NSAID saw a 49% adjusted increase in their risk of osteoporotic fractures compared with women on clodronate who weren't using NSAIDs, researchers report in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
"The RCT with which we undertook this analysis allowed us to adjust for many of the other variables that impact on bone health and might differ between NSAID users and non-users," Dr. Eugene McCloskey of the University of Sheffield, in the U.K. told Reuters Health by email.
"The lack of any effect in the placebo group of the study was reassuring," he added. "But the impact (of NSAID) to reduce the effect of bisphosphonate was quite a surprise."
The original clinical trial involved 5,212 women 75 years or older from Sheffield and the surrounding area. Exclusion criteria included evidence of metabolic bone disease, calcium disorders and other potential confounding factors.
At baseline, 21% of women reported use of NSAIDs, most commonly ibuprofen and diclofenac. These women were slightly younger (mean, 79 vs.
