NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Rates of osteoporotic fracture were similar three years after starting either denosumab or alendronate in a real-world Danish population-based cohort study.
“Previous studies have shown that denosumab is more efficacious than alendronate in increasing bone mineral density (BMD), possibly the best proxy outcome for subsequent fracture risk. However, previous studies were underpowered to compare the risk of fracture in users of denosumab and alendronate. This is largest up-to-date study showing similar risks of hip and any fracture within 3 years in patients treated with denosumab and alendronate,” Dr. Alma Pedersen of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark told Reuters Health by email.
Using national registries, the team investigated fracture risk in people aged 50 and older starting denosumab (4,624 patients) or alendronate (87,731 patients).
The three-year cumulative incidence of hip fracture was 3.7% in the denosumab cohort and 3.1% in the alendronate cohort, a difference that did not reach statistical significance. The three-year cumulative incidence of any fracture was 9.0% for both cohorts, the authors reported online April 19 in JAMA Network Open.