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Bisphosphonates reduced the risk of acute myocardial infarction: a 2-year follow-up study

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Abstract

Summary

This population-based matched cohort analysis explored the effects of bisphosphonate treatment on acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We found that patients who received bisphosphonate therapy had a lower risk of AMI during a 2-year follow-up period (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.35). Our data support that bisphosphonates may provide protective effects against cardiovascular events.

Introduction

Although bisphosphonates have been suggested to have anti-atherosclerotic effects in animal models, evidence in human subjects is still conflicting. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of bisphosphonate treatment on AMI using a population-based cohort study.

Methods

We identified 1,548 patients who received bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporotic fractures and randomly extracted 4,644 subjects with vertebral or hip fractures as a comparison cohort. Each patient was individually tracked for 2 years to identify those who subsequently suffered an AMI. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to assess the effect of bisphosphonate treatment on the risk of AMI.

Results

Six (0.4 %) of the patients who received bisphosphonate therapy and 49 (1.1 %) of the comparison subjects suffered an AMI during the 2-year follow-up period. The incidence rate of AMI was 1.94 (95 % CI = 0.79–4.03) per 1,000 person-years in patients who received bisphosphonate therapy and 5.28 (95 % CI = 3.95–6.92) per 1,000 person-years in comparison patients. Regression analysis revealed that patients who received bisphosphonate therapy had a lower hazard of AMI during the 2-year follow-up period than comparison patients (HR = 0.37, 95 % CI = 0.16–0.85, p = 0.020). After censoring cases that died from non-AMI causes and adjusting for both demographic and risk factors, the HR of AMI for patients who received bisphosphonate therapy was 0.35 (95 % CI = 0.14–0.84, p = 0.020) than that of comparison patients.

Conclusions

Patients who received bisphosphonate therapy had a lower risk of AMI during the 2-year follow-up period. Our data support that bisphosphonates may provide protective effects against cardiovascular events.

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Acknowledgments

This study is based in part on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database provided by the Bureau of National Health Insurance, Department of Health, Taiwan and managed by the National Health Research Institutes. The interpretations and conclusions contained herein do not represent those of the Bureau of National Health Insurance, Department of Health, or the National Health Research Institutes.

Conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    J.-H. Kang

  2. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    J.-H. Kang

  3. School of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Biotechnology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    J. J. Keller

  4. School of Health Care Administration, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei, 110, Taiwan

    H.-C. Lin

Authors
  1. J.-H. Kang
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  2. J. J. Keller
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  3. H.-C. Lin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to H.-C. Lin.

Additional information

Jiunn-Horng Kang and Joseph J. Keller have equal contribution to this manuscript.

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Kang, JH., Keller, J.J. & Lin, HC. Bisphosphonates reduced the risk of acute myocardial infarction: a 2-year follow-up study. Osteoporos Int 24, 271–277 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-012-2213-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-012-2213-5

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