CME - Osteoporosis drug Fosamax promotes atrial fibrillation in population-based study

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Osteoporosis Drug Promotes Atrial Fibrillation in Population-Based Study CME

News Author: Steve Stiles

CME Author: Hien T. Nghiem, MD

Release Date: April 30, 2008; Valid for credit through April 30, 2009

Credits Available

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Report the adverse effects after intravenous administration of bisphosphonates.

Describe whether the use of alendronate is related to the risk for

incident atrial fibrillation in women in a clinical practice setting.

April 30, 2008 — Women who have ever taken alendronate (Fosamax,

Merck), the bisphosphonate widely prescribed for preservation of bone

density that recently went off patent, have an increased risk of

developing atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a population-based,

case-control study in the April 28, 2008 Archives of Internal Medicine

[1].

In multivariate analyses, the odds ratio (95% CI) for incident AF

associated with current or past alendronate use among nearly 1700

women in a clinical practice setting was 1.86 (1.09 - 3.15), with a

disproportionate share of the risk concentrated among those who were

previously but are no longer on the drug.

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Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/573743

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Not an MD