Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32361951›Full record

ArticleOsteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA2020

Once-yearly zoledronic acid and change in abdominal aortic calcification over 3 years in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: results from the HORIZON Pivotal Fracture Trial.

G Cai, H I Keen, L V Host, D Aitken, L L Laslett, T Winzenberg, A E Wluka, D Black, G Jones

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00049829 (HORIZON-PFT), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT00049829 phase3completednot on this map

HORIZON-PFT: Pivotal Fracture Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorNovartis PharmaceuticalsRan2002Enrolled7,700ConditionsOsteoporosisArmsZoledronic Acid
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effect of osteoporosis medications on vascular and valvular calcification: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

G CaiMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6481-704X
H I KeenDepartment of Rheumatology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Australia.
L V HostDepartment of Rheumatology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Australia.
D AitkenMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
L L LaslettMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
T WinzenbergMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
A E WlukaDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
D BlackDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
G JonesMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia. Graeme.Jones@utas.edu.au.
University of Tasmania · AUFiona Stanley Hospital · AUMonash University · AUThe University of Western Australia · AUUniversity of California, San Francisco · US

Funding

Novartis Pharma N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study evaluated whether zoledronic acid (ZA) inhibited the progression of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) over 3 years in 502 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. AAC progressed in a similar proportion of participants in the ZA (29%) and placebo (31%) groups, suggesting no effect of ZA on AAC progression.

introductionBisphosphonate use is associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events. The underlying mechanisms are uncertain but may include effects on vascular calcification. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of zoledronic acid (ZA) on abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

methodsThis was a post hoc analysis of the HORIZON Pivotal Fracture Trial that included 502 postmenopausal women (mean age 72.5 years) with osteoporosis (234 received ZA and 268 placebo). AAC scores (range, 0-8) were assessed from paired spine X-rays at baseline and after 3 years. Progression of AAC was defined as any increase in AAC score. The association between change in hip and femoral neck bone mineral density and change in AAC score was also assessed.

resultsAt baseline, 292 (58.2%) participants had AAC (i.e., AAC score > 0), with AAC scores similar in the two intervention groups (median [interquartile range], 1 [0 to 2] for both; p = 0.98). Over 3 years, AAC progressed in a similar proportion of participants in both groups (ZA 29% and placebo 31%; p = 0.64). Change in bone mineral density and change in AAC score were not correlated.

conclusionOnce-yearly zoledronic acid did not affect progression of AAC over 3 years in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00049829.

Indexed as

Bone Density Conservation AgentsOsteoporosisOsteoporosis, PostmenopausalAgedBone DensityDiphosphonatesFemaleHumansPostmenopauseZoledronic AcidBone Density Conservation AgentsDiphosphonatesZoledronic AcidAortic calcificationBisphosphonatesCardiovascularOsteoporosisZoledronic acid

Identifiers

PMID32361951
OpenAlexW3023084146

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.