Abstract
Background: We have recently shown that early postmenopausal but not premenopausal asthmatic women treated with inhaled corticosteroids demonstrate reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and decreased serum intact osteocalcin levels. Thus, the development of therapeutic approaches would be desirable for the prevention and intervention of BMD reduction in postmenopausal asthmatic women receiving inhaled corticosteroids.
Methods: This study was aimed at examining the effects of etidronate disodium on BMD in 20 postmenopausal asthmatic women with reduced BMD of the lumbar spine (T score; -1.5 or less). These patients had been managed by inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate or inhaled fluticasone propionate, without regular use of oral or parentheral corticosteroids. They were given a 200 mg/day oral dose of etidronate disodium for 14 days every three months. BMD of the lumbar spine was determined at baseline and at 1 or 3 years after the treatment.
Results: The baseline BMD was 0.692 ± 0.018 (SE) g/cm2 (T score, -3.0 ± 0.8). The BMD significantly increased by 5.2 ± 2.0% at 1 year (P = 0.022) and by 7.3 ± 2.9% at 3 years (P = 0.037) after the treatment.
Conclusions: Intermittent cyclical treatment with ethidronate improves reduced BMD in postmenopausal asthmatic women on inhaled corticosteroid therapy.
