Total and regional bone mineral content and fracture rate in postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with salmon calcitonin: a prospective study.

Abstract

Seventy-two postmenopausal osteoporotic women having more than one nontraumatic vertebral crush fracture were studied. Thirty-six of them, aged 68.8 +/- 1.2 years (18 +/- 4 YSM-years since menopause), were treated with 100 IU/day of salmon calcitonin i.m. plus 500 mg of elemental calcium for 10 days each month. The remaining 36 patients, aged 69.6 +/- 1.4 years (19 +/- 3 YSM), were given only 500 mg of elemental calcium for 10 days each month. All patients underwent clinical and analytical evaluation every 3 months. Radiological evaluation, assessment of vertebral deformities, and metacarpal radiogrammetry were done every 6 months. Densitometric measurements of total and regional bone mass were made every 12 months. At 24 months, the calcitonin group showed a 60% reduction in the number of new fractures and the group receiving only calcium had a 45% increase (P < 0.001). The incidence of vertebral fractures was 0.07 per patient-year in the group treated with calcitonin and 0.45 per patient-year in the group treated with calcium (P < 0.001). At 2 years, the calcitonin group showed a 12% increase in cortical bone mass on metacarpal radiogrammetry, a 16% increase in the axial skeleton on trunk densitometry, a 3.5% increase in total body bone mineral content, a 30.7% increase in pelvic bone mineral content, and a 6.2% increase in arm bone mineral content (all P < 0.001). In the group treated with calcium alone there was a loss of bone mass in every region. These findings suggest that salmon calcitonin is effective in the treatment of osteoporosis and show that it acts on cortical and trabecular bone.

• Authors: H Rico, M Revilla, E R Hernández, L F Villa, M Alvarez de Buergo
• Journal: Calcified tissue international (Calcif Tissue Int) Vol. 56 Issue 3 Pg. 181-5 (Mar 1995) ISSN: 0171-967X [Print] United States
• PMID: 7750020 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• salmon calcitonin
• Calcitonin
• Calcium

Topics

• Absorptiometry, Photon
• Aged
• Arm (diagnostic imaging)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Bone Density (drug effects, physiology)
• Calcitonin (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Calcium (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Injections, Intramuscular
• Metacarpus (diagnostic imaging, drug effects)
• Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal (complications, drug therapy)
• Pelvic Bones (diagnostic imaging, drug effects)
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Spinal Fractures (diagnostic imaging, epidemiology)
• Spine (diagnostic imaging, drug effects)