[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/bone-drug-hype\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/bone-drug-hype\/","headline":"How big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?","name":"How big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest Answering the question \u201chow big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?\u201d can be quite challenging. One reason is that the statistical calculations are complex and highly manipulated making them difficult to understand. Another is that the subjects included in the drug studies are generally highly-selected and may […]","datePublished":"2011-12-05","dateModified":"2026-04-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/bisphosphonates-and-osteoporosis-BB-Blog-6-20.jpg","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/bisphosphonates-and-osteoporosis-BB-Blog-6-20.jpg","height":1109,"width":2120},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/bone-drug-hype\/","about":["Bone Drugs"],"wordCount":382,"keywords":["bone drugs"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnswering the question \u201chow big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?\u201d can be quite challenging.One reason is that the statistical calculations are complex and highly manipulated making them difficult to understand. Another is that the subjects included in the drug studies are generally highly-selected and may not represent \u201creal-world\u201d populations.Table of ContentsToggle     2 Minutes ReadSeparating hype from realityNow compare thisSeparating hype from realityRecently scientists took an important step to help us separate hype from reality in regard to the benefits of bone drugs.Researchers asked if \u201creal-world\u201d patients taking bone drugs received the same fracture-reduction benefits seen in the clinical trials. After analysis of hundreds of studies, they found that highly compliant, \u201creal world\u201d patients on osteoporosis drugs experienced a 21% reduction in all clinical fractures. This compares to the 24% overall clinical fracture reduction experienced by subjects in osteoporosis drug clinical trials.What a different messages than we often hear \u2014 such as how bone drugs reduce your chance of fracture by 50%! Or have you ever been told that the fracture reduction on bone drugs is really more like 21-24%? That is \u2014 if you use the drug faithfully.Now compare thisNow compare this 21-24% fracture-reduction benefit from bone drugs to the studies documenting that those taking vitamin D in any dose (much less a therapeutic dose) experience a 23-26% reduction in fractures. It seems to me that the bang from osteoporosis drugs isn\u2019t quite as big as we\u2019ve been led to believe.As your bone health advocate, I congratulate these researchers on the enormous effort to analyze and synthesize data from hundreds of studies. I also congratulate the drug company which funded this study for clarifying the real fracture\/reduction benefit of today\u2019s bone drugs. References:Wilkes, et al. 2010. \u201cBisphosphonates and osteoporotic fractures: a cross-design synthesis of results among compliant\/persistent postmenopausal women in clinical practice versus randomized controlled trials.\u201d Osteoporosis International 21:679-688Bischoff-Ferrari, HA et al. 2005. Fracture prevention with vitamin D supplementation: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA, 293(18): 2257-2264  We cover this topic fully in our comprehensive guide to natural osteoporosis treatment options.For natural support alongside any treatment, read our complete guide to bone health nutrition as a natural foundation."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bone Drugs","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/bone-drug-hype\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]