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Bisphosphonates, a class of drugs commonly prescribed for the treatment of osteoporosis, have been linke dto the formation of microcracks in the skeleton, which appeared to increase proportionately to bisphosphonate treatment.

However, a recent animal study presented during the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) shows that the continued use of alendronate (a bisphosphonate) is not associated with continued accumulation of microdamage.

Researchers found there was no increase in vertebral microcracks after 3 years of alendronate treatment in comparison to the beagles treated for 1 year. These results suggest that microcrack accumulation is greatest during the early course of alendronate treatment. This is an encouraging sign for long-term safety of these drugs.

The study has been conducted with financial support from Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble, Merck, and Amgen, companies where the lead researchers have been either a consultant or a stockholder.

Source: Science Daily