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Alendronate reduced days of bed rest and limited activity in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and existing fractures

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 QUESTION: In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and ≥1 vertebral fracture, does alendronate reduce back pain and functional limitation caused by back pain?

Design

3 year randomised {allocation concealed*}, blinded {patients, clinicians, and outcome assessors}*, placebo controlled trial (Fracture-Intervention Trial [FIT]).

Setting

11 clinical centres in the US.

Patients

2027 women who were 55–81 years of age (mean age 71 y), had been postmenopausal for ≥2 years, had a femoral neck bone mineral density ≤0.68 g/cm2, and had ≥1 vertebral fracture. Follow up was 100%.

Intervention

Women were allocated to alendronate sodium, 5 mg/day for 2 years and 10 mg/day for the third year (n=1022), or placebo (n=1005).

Main outcome measures

Days of back pain and limited activity days related to back pain were assessed by questionnaire every …

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Footnotes

  • Source of funding: Merck Research Laboratories.

  • For correspondence: Dr M C Nevitt, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Prevention Sciences Group Coordinating Center–UCSF, 74 New Montgomery, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. Fax +1 415 597 9213.

  • * See glossary.

  • Black DM, Cummings SR, Karpf DB, et al, for the Fracture Intervention Trial Research Group. Lancet 1996;348:1535–41.