Register for Gastrointestinal side effects from alendronate require additional medication
Adverse Drug EffectsMarch 4, 2004
2004 MAR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gastrointestinal side effects from alendronate require additional medication.
According to research from Turkey, "the aim of our study was to evaluate the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract side effect profile in 759 female patients that had taken alendronate (10 mg/day), for at least 6 months, for the treatment of osteoporosis, in relation to the safety of alendronate and the compliance of patients to its absorption rules. This study was a multicentered retrospective, clinical, non-placebo controlled, study of 759 female subjects carried out at 26 centers in 6 different regions of Turkey."
"The mean age of our patients was 62.6±8.6, with 51.2% in the age range 60 to 69 years. 158 patients (20.8%) were considered to have upper GI tract complaints with nausea as the most often encountered symptom. Of the subjects with upper GI tract complaints, 20% reported discontinued drug use, and 30% reported the requirement of an additional drug in order to abolish their complaints," S. Aki and colleagues, Istanbul University, Medical Faculty, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation wrote.
"Approximately 537 (71%) of the patients stated they had been given written information about the administration of the drug, and at least 93 patients (12%) and 73 patients (18.4%) acknowledged non-compliance with the safety and absorption rules, respectively."
"In our study, no significant difference was found between the adherence to the safety measures and upper GI tract complaints (p>0.05), but that upper GI tract complaints were higher in patients taking additional medication to alendronate (p<0.05)," study authors concluded.
Aki and colleagues published the results of their research in Yonsei Medical Journal (Gastrointestinal side effect profile due to the use of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis. Yonsei Med J, 2003;44(6):961-967).
For additional information, contact S. Aki, Istanbul Tip Fak, Fiz Tip Rehabilitation Anabilim Dali, Istanbul, Turkey.
The publisher of the Yonsei Medical Journal can be contacted at: Yonsei University College Medicine, C, O KYUN0-IL Im, M.D., pH.D, Shinchon Dong 134, Seodaemoon Ku, Seoul 120-752, South Korea.
The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Adverse Drug Effects, Gastroenterology, Osteoporosis, and Women's Health. This article was prepared by Women's Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Women's Health Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.
©Copyright 2004, Women's Health Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net
