Ipriflavone in osteoporosis prevention

[Guest guest]

I know alot of us use this supplement, so does anyone have any

thoughts on the following article on Ipriflavone? I read a little

about lymphocytopenia and it seems quite serious.

Ipriflavone Supplementation for Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment?

Posted 09/04/2002 from Medscape Women's Health

Question: A patient has inquired about taking a calcium supplement

with ipriflavone. Are there any benefits of this combination

supplement vs calcium alone vis a vis osteoporosis, and are there any

side effects?

Response from Jean-Yves Reginster, MD, PhD, 09/04/2002

Ipriflavone is a synthetic isoflavone derivative, which has been

suggested to be an inhibitor of bone resorption and a stimulator of

osteoblast activity in vitro in cell cultures and in vivo in

experimental models of osteoporosis. Preliminary studies, mainly

performed in Italy and Japan, suggested that ipriflavone (typical

dosage 600 mg/day) is able to prevent bone loss, and some data even

suggested that ipriflavone may increase bone mass in postmenopausal

women. However, reports of lymphocytopenia in women taking

ipriflavone generated concerns regarding the safety of this

particular compound. In order to investigate the effect of oral

ipriflavone in prevention of postmenopausal bone loss and to assess

the safety profile of long-term treatment with ipriflavone in

postmenopausal osteoporotic women, a prospective, randomized, placebo-

controlled 4-year study was conducted in 474 postmenopausal white

women with bone mineral densities below the threshold for a diagnosis

of osteoporosis, according to World Health Organization

classification (ie, a bone mineral density less than 2.5 standard

deviations below the young adult mean).[1] The study concluded that

ipriflavone, at the daily dose of 600 mg per day, combined with

calcium 500 mg per day, had no significant benefit in terms of

biochemical markers of bone remodeling, bone mineral density, or

fracture incidence. Furthermore, lymphocytopenia occurred in a

significant number of women treated with ipriflavone. The study

investigators concluded that ipriflavone could not be considered an

effective or safe medication in the treatment of osteoporosis. Use of

this medication should be discouraged until more data allow

reconsideration of this position.