Effectiveness of Bisphosphonates in Young Adults with Fragility Fractures: Representative Population-Based Cohort Study

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2024-12
• Main Authors: Kong, Sung Hye, Park, Ju-Young, Shin, Moon-Kyung, Lee, Hyo-Jung, Kim, Jin Woo, Park, Seung Shin, Kim, Sang Wan, Shin, Chan Soo, Song, Tae-Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgae850

Fragility fractures in young adults present significant clinical challenges due to the limited evidence on the effectiveness of bisphosphonates in preventing subsequent fractures. To evaluate the effectiveness of bisphosphonate therapy in reducing the fracture risk among premenopausal women with a history of osteoporotic fractures. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) in South Korea, covering the years 2003 to 2014. A nationwide healthcare setting utilizing a representative cohort database. Among 2,087 premenopausal women with osteoporotic fractures, participants were propensity score-matched based on age and body mass index at a 1:3 ratio, resulting in 132 bisphosphonate users and 396 non-users. Bisphosphonate treatment. The incidence of osteoporotic fractures. Bisphosphonate users had a significantly lower risk of major osteoporotic fractures (HR 0.618, 95% CI 0.396 - 0.963) compared to non-users. Ibandronate users showed significant reductions in both major osteoporotic (HR 0.376, 95% CI 0.164 - 0.861) and nonvertebral fractures (HR 0.214, 95% CI 0.052 - 0.877). Also, longer duration of bisphosphonate use (≥180 days) was associated with a significantly lower risk of major osteoporotic and nonvertebral fractures (HR 0.528, 95% CI 0.300 - 0.929; HR 0.409, 95% CI 0.187 - 0.895, respectively). Bisphosphonate therapy significantly reduces fracture risk in premenopausal women with previous osteoporotic fractures, especially at higher cumulative doses. These findings support considering bisphosphonates as a treatment option in premenopausal women at high risk of fractures.