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A recent review sought to determine health outcomes and adverse effects -- including atypical fractures -- of using oral bisphosphonates (oBP) to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis beyond the 5-year mark.
Authors of the systematic review, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, note that international guidelines recommend oBP for up to 5 years. Potential risks and benefits of extending oBP therapy beyond this duration remain uncertain.
First author, Prawira Oka, MD, is with the department of research, Singhealth Polyclinics in Singapore. The authors were not available for interview, but we have distilled and organized excerpts from the paper into a Q&A format to make it useful for readers.
What is known about the long-term impact of bisphosphonate therapy?
