Long-term osteoporosis pill use and rare thigh-bone breaks
Pooling International Cohort Studies of Long-Term Bisphosphonate Use and Atypical Femur Fractures
This project looks at whether long-term osteoporosis medicines called bisphosphonates raise the chance of rare thigh-bone (atypical femur) fractures in people taking these drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11182701 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you've taken bisphosphonates, this project pools individual data from three large population-based studies to learn who might be at higher risk of atypical femur fractures. Researchers will use X-rays to confirm fracture cases, link detailed records of how long people took the drugs and any drug holidays, and harmonize other health information across the studies. Centralized statistical analyses will separate the effect of treatment duration from other risk factors and look for patient subgroups with higher or lower risk. The goal is to give clearer information to patients and clinicians about when to start, stop, or take breaks from bisphosphonate therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for the findings are people—especially older women—with osteoporosis who are currently taking or considering long-term bisphosphonate therapy.
Not a fit: People without osteoporosis or who have never used bisphosphonates are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help patients and doctors make safer, more personalized decisions about starting, continuing, or pausing bisphosphonate treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked long-term bisphosphonate use to atypical femur fractures, but this pooled, radiographically confirmed analysis aims to produce more precise risk estimates.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bauer, Douglas C — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Bauer, Douglas C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.