Alendronate given once weekly is effective for treating bone loss in patients with cystic fibrosis, according to a report in the October issue of Chest.

Alendronate given once weekly is effective for treating bone loss in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a report in the October issue of Chest.

Daily therapy with bisphosphonates, including alendronate, has previously been shown to be effective in treating CF-related bone loss, the authors explain.

Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues assessed the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of therapy with oral alendronate 70 mg once-weekly versus placebo over 12 months in 56 adults with CF and low bone mass.

In multivariable analyses, weekly alendronate treatment was associated with a 4.04 percentage point greater increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) and a 3.03 percentage point greater increase in total hip BMD compared with the control group.

Significantly more participants in the alendronate group experienced increases in lumbar spine BMD (91.3 per cent) and total hip BMD (52.0 per cent) than did participants in the control group (69.6 per cent and 24.0 per cent, respectively), the authors report.

None of the alendronate patients developed vertebral fractures, the report indicates, whereas two control group patients developed a new grade one fracture (both in the thoracic spine).

The incidence of serious adverse events and gastrointestinal-related events did not differ significantly between the treatment and control groups, the investigators say.

"Treatment with alendronate (70 mg once weekly) was well tolerated and demonstrated a clinically significant increase in BMD over 12 months compared with placebo," the researchers conclude. "The number of side effects was similar in both groups, suggesting that alendronate is safe and effective treatment for CF-related bone disease."

Chest 2008;134:794-800