Study summary · research use only
Combined Pharmacologic Therapy in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review (species not specified, postmenopausal women) discusses combined pharmacologic therapy for postmenopausal osteoporosis. It describes antiresorptive agents including selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM), bisphosphonates, and denosumab, and notes teriparatide as the only Food and Drug Administration-approved anabolic agent. The abstract reviews trial designs and outcomes of combining teriparatide with an antiresorptive agent, reporting mixed results for teriparatide plus bisphosphonates, while small increases in bone density were observed with teriparatide plus estrogen/SERM and with teriparatide plus denosumab. The authors note these studies were limited by small sample sizes and a lack of fracture outcomes.
Abstract
Antiresorptive agents for treating postmenopausal osteoporosis include selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), bisphosphonates and denoumab. Teriparatide is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved anabolic agent. Synergistic effects of combining teriparatide with an antiresorptive agent have been proposed and studied. This article reviews the trial designs and the outcomes of combination therapies. Results of the combination therapy for teriparatide and bisphosphonates were mixed; while small increases of bone density were observed in the combination therapy of teriparatide and estrogen/SERM and that of teriparatide and denosumab. Those clinical studies were limited by small sample sizes and lack of fracture outcomes.
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