Osteoporosis drugs and irregular heartbeat
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People who take bisphosphonates, drugs that add mass to deteriorating bones, for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis may be at increased risk for atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeats, according to research presented today at a conference of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Atrial fibrillation can produce a variety of symptoms, including light-headedness, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath -- or no symptoms at all. The study involved more than 16,000 women ages 69 to 75, some of whom took bisphosphonates and some of whom took a placebo. Of those who took the real drugs, 2.5% to 3% experienced irregular heartbeats. For 1% to 2% of the women who took bisphosphonates, the episode was serious, resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the study. Overall, the women taking bisphosphonates were twice as likely to suffer a serious heartbeat irregularity.
It’s not the first time the association has been made between the drugs and an irregular heartbeat. A study in the May 3, 2007, New England Journal of Medicine found that while the drugs reduced the risk of fractures, the researchers noted an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in women getting a once-yearly infusion of bisphosphonates.
In October 2007, the Food and Drug Administration said it would continue to investigate the connection, but said that the agency did not believe doctors or patients should change their prescribing patterns at that time.
At the conference, researchers urged continued studies.
‘In patients with increased risk factors for atrial fibrillation, clinicians should be more cautious when choosing treatment for osteoporosis and weigh the risks against the benefit of decreased fracture risk,’ said researcher Dr. Jennifer Miranda, of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami in a news release. ‘Bisphosphonates are widely used to treat millions of women and men who suffer from osteoporosis or low bone density,’ said James A. L. Mathers Jr., president of the American College of Chest Physicians. ‘A potential link between bisphosphonates and atrial fibrillation warrants additional research in this area.’
The Los Angeles Times Health section covered osteoporosis and bisphosphonates in Sept. 22 articles.
-- Susan Brink