Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33606045›Full record

Trial reportOsteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA2021

Early changes in bone turnover and bone mineral density after discontinuation of long-term oral bisphosphonates: a post hoc analysis.

K Saag, F Cosman, T De Villiers, B Langdahl, B B Scott, A E Denker, A Pong, A C Santora

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00996801 (A Phase IIb, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo- and Active-Controlled, Dose-Range-Finding Study to Evaluate the Effects of MK-5442 on Bone Mineral Density), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 36% 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.

NCT00996801 phase2completednot on this map

A Phase IIb, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo- and Active-Controlled, Dose-Range-Finding Study to Evaluate the Effects of MK-5442 on Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in the Treatment of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women Previously Treated With an Oral Bisphosphonate

TypeinterventionalSponsorMerck Sharp & Dohme LLCRan2009 to 2011Enrolled526ConditionsOsteoporosis, Postmenopausal OsteoporosisArmsMK-5442, Placebo to MK-5442, Alendronate Sodium, Vitamin D3, Calcium carbonate
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Clarifying clinically treatment-naive status for osteoporosis patients.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
    Review
  3. New Horizons: Translational Aspects of Osteomorphs.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024
    Review
  4. 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

8 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

K SaagUniversity of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA. ksaag@uabmc.edu.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6189-8078
F CosmanDepartment of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4554-6616
T De VilliersStellenbosch University and Mediclinic Panorama, Western Cape, South Africa.
B LangdahlAarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8712-7199
B B ScottMerck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
A E DenkerMerck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
A PongMerck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3377-5318
A C SantoraMerck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6040-7935
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (United States) · USAarhus University Hospital · DKColumbia University · USStellenbosch University · ZAUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This post hoc analysis of a randomized, double-blind study of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis found that there were early increases in bone turnover markers and decreases in bone mineral density after discontinuation of long-term alendronate. These findings might help guide treatment decisions, including monitoring after alendronate withdrawal.

introductionThe short-term effects of discontinuing long-term bisphosphonates are poorly characterized. This post hoc analysis investigated 1-12-month changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM) after alendronate (ALN) discontinuation.

methodsData were from a randomized, double-blind trial of MK-5442 (calcium-sensing receptor antagonist) following oral bisphosphonates, with placebo and continued ALN controls ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00996801). Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis had received oral bisphosphonate (≥ 3-4 preceding years; ALN for the 12 months pre-screening), continuing on ALN 70 mg/week (n = 87) or placebo (n = 88).

resultsAt 12 months, least-squares mean percent changes from baseline BMD (placebo vs. ALN) were lumbar spine (LS): - 0.36 vs. 1.29, total hip: - 1.44 vs. 0.46, and femoral neck (FN): - 1.26 vs. - 0.08 (all P < 0.05). BTM levels increased by 1-3 months, to 12 months, with placebo vs. ALN (P < 0.001). FN BMD decline was greater in the placebo subgroup with higher urinary N-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen/creatinine [uNTx/Cr] (P < 0.01), and higher serum N-terminal pro-peptide of type 1 collagen [P1NP] levels (P < 0.05), at baseline. There was a trend toward greater FN BMD loss with higher BTM levels at 3 and/or 6 months. Younger age and higher LS BMD at baseline were associated with greater LS BMD loss at 12 months (P = 0.04 and < 0.01, respectively); higher baseline FN BMD predicted greater FN BMD loss (P = 0.04).

conclusionEarly changes in BTM levels and BMD were observed after discontinuation of long-term ALN. Further characterization of factors associated with patients' risk of bone loss upon bisphosphonate discontinuation is warranted.

Indexed as

Bone DensityOsteoporosis, PostmenopausalBone RemodelingDiphosphonatesFemaleHumansLumbar VertebraeDiphosphonatesAlendronateBone mineral densityDiscontinuationLong-termOral bisphosphonatesPost hoc

Identifiers

PMID33606045
OpenAlexW3132760535

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.