Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences on calcified tissues
Bone Abstracts (2013) 1 PP406 | DOI: 10.1530/boneabs.1.PP406

ECTS2013 Poster Presentations Osteoporosis: treatment (64 abstracts)

In real clinical practice osteoporosis drugs are taken for a very short period: analysis of persistence in the campania region

Giovanni Iolascon 1 , Annarita Capaldo 1 , Valentina Orlando 2 , Enrica Menditto 2 & Francesca Gimigliano 1


1Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; 2CIRFF/Center of Pharmacoeconomics Faculty of Pharmacy University of Naples, ’FedericoII’, Naples, Italy.


Introduction: Persistence is defined as the period between the start and the interruption of a pharmacological treatment. In osteoporotic patients, persistence to therapy is poor, resulting in reduced benefits and increased risk of fracture.The aim of this study is to analyze persistence with drug therapy in osteoporotic patients in the Campania region.

Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study to examine prescription data of 30 348 subjects, males and females, aged ≥ 40 years, in Campania Region (Southern Italy). They received at least one prescription for osteoporosis medication in the period between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Subjects had not received osteoporosis medication in the year prior to the start of the study. They were followed for 1 year from the first prescription of an antiosteoporotic drug and persistence was assessed with the method of medication gaps. In addition, a survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method and univariate sensitivity analysis.

Results: The mean age of our samples was 69.1 years. 54.8% of subjects were persistent at 3 months, 32.8% at 6 months, 21.9% at 9 months and 15.9% at 12 months. The results of analysis of persistence for each drug are shown in Table 1.

Table 1
% PersistentRaloxifeneAlendronateIbandronateRisedronateAlendronate + cholecalciferolStronzium ranelate
90 (d) 49.151.470.261.359.743.3
180 (d)33.029.249.239.738.420.3
270 (d)24.520.136.126.727.410.9
365 (d)18.914.628.519.620.36.8

Conclusion(s): Our study showed that in Southern Italy <30% of patients treated with antiosteoporotic drugs is persistent with therapy at one year and <40% at six months. Therefore most people don’t make any therapeutic benefit in order to reduce risk fracture.

Volume 1

European Calcified Tissue Society Congress 2013

Lisbon, Portugal
18 May 2013 - 22 May 2013

European Calcified Tissue Society 

Browse other volumes

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.