'Statin Use Does Not Reduce Fracture
Risk in Postmenopausal Women
Statin use does not appear to protect postmenopausal
women from fractures, which is contrary to some
early reports.
The results run counter to a report presented
in May that linked statin use with a reduced risk
of vertebral fractures. Similarly, in an earlier
study, statin use was found to improve bone density
and prevent fractures in older women. Other studies,
however, have failed to uncover a beneficial anti-fracture
effect for statins.
The current findings are based on a study of 93,716
postmenopausal women who participated in the Women's
Health Initiative Observational Study and were
followed for a median of 3.9 years. The subjects
included 7846 statin users and 85,870 nonusers.
Regardless of treatment duration, statin therapy
did not appear to protect against fractures in
the hip, lower arm or wrist, or other site. In
fact, at most sites, statin use was actually linked
with a slightly increased risk of fracture, noted
lead author Dr. Andrea Z. LaCroix, from the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
After adjusting for age and other potential confounders,
the authors found no difference in bone density
levels at any site between statin users and nonusers.
"A substantial reduction in fracture risk
from statin use is statistically incompatible"
with the new findings, the researchers conclude.
"The cumulative evidence does not warrant
the use of statins as agents to prevent or treat
osteoporosis," they add. Ann Intern Med 2003;139:97-104.
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