More research urgently needed on long-term use of osteoporosis drugs
In a new report released by the National Institutes of Health’s Pathways to Prevention workshop on the Appropriate Use of Drug Therapies for Osteoporotic Fracture Prevention, an independent panel of healthcare and medical experts are calling for more research to determine the appropriate use of long-term osteoporosis therapies designed to prevent fractures. The report was in Annals of Internal Medicine on April 23, 2019.
More than 10 million people in the United States have osteoporosis, which leads to poor bone density, weakened bone structure and greater susceptibility to fractures, even from minor trauma. People who have severe cases often need to take medication to help prevent fractures. Some approved medications are helping but can only be taken for up to five years. However, studies to determine if they are safe and effective for long-term use are lacking, a situation they said needs immediate attention.
“Answers to both the key questions and the research priorities outlined in the report are urgently needed to advance prevention of osteoporosis-related morbidity and mortality,” said Albert Siu, M.D., professor at the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and workshop panel chair, in an NIH statement. “Filling the research gaps outlined in this report will aid effective communication among patients, families, and health care providers about appropriate treatment options.”
NIH projects that U.S. healthcare costs attributable to fractures will reach $25 billion annually by 2025.
The panel’s final report includes expertise from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) systematic review of the scientific evidence, speaker presentations, audience input, and public comments. NIH reports that the panel also advises researchers to tap innovative research designs and approaches to address long-term use of current therapies, speed up the development of new treatments, and conduct clinical trials to evaluate new drug therapies that don’t have the adverse effects of certain current medications. More research, they added, is also needed to identify current barriers to starting and continuing with osteoporotic drug therapy.
