[Evidence for positive effects of long-term bisphosphonate administration.]

Abstract

Long-term treatment studies on the use of bisphosphonate(BP)for more than 5 years have been reported for alendronate, risedronate, and zoledronic acid. Bone mineral density(BMD)increases over the long term;however, a large increase has been observed over a 2 to 3 year period after initiation of BP treatment followed by gradual BMD increase and achieving a state of stability. After an initial reduction, the levels of bone remodeling markers remained stable within the premenopausal range during long-term BP treatment. BPs reduce fracture risk over a 5 to 6 year period and residual anti-fracture effects are observed after discontinuation.