MONDAY, Jan. 26, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- While previous studies suggest statins may help reduce the risk of bone fractures in older women, more research is needed to find a definitive answer, says a report in the Jan. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Statins are widely used to treat high cholesterol, but there's little available information about their effects on bones, the article says. Some studies have found statin use is associated with reduced risk of fracture; other studies suggest statin drugs may increase bone mass.
Dr. Douglas C. Bauer, from the University of California, San Francisco, and his colleagues analyzed data from four large studies and summarized results from eight observational studies and two clinical trials.
The data from the four large studies suggested that people taking statins had a 38 percent to 81 percent lower risk of hip fractures and a 5 percent to 51 percent lower risk of non-spine fractures.
The analysis of the observational studies found a 57 percent reduction in hip fractures and about a 31 percent reduction in non-spine fractures among people taking statins.
"These findings build on the recent reports that statins increase bone formation in rodents and suggest that statins may be useful agents for osteoporosis. Clinical trials are needed to test the ability of potent statins to prevent fracture," the authors write.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about statin drugs.
