Search Results (6)

Background: Idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) is the most common genetic metabolic disorder in patients with urinary stones and is usually treated with thiazide-type diuretics. However, direct evidence comparing low-dose indapamide and hydrochlorothiazide is scarce. This study aimed to compare their safety, efficacy and adherence in patients with IH. Methods: In this randomized prospective trial, a total of 101 patients with IH were recruited at Son Espases University Hospital (2020–2023), assigned to receive indapamide 1.5 mg/day (n = 53) or hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/day (n = 48), and followed for 18 months. Adverse events, biochemical parameters and therapeutic adherence were evaluated. Results: A total of 90.24% patients on indapamide and 85.71% on hydrochlorothiazide showed normal calciuria (p = 0.53). Both treatments increased serum urate (p = 0.62). Indapamide significantly reduced β-crosslaps (p < 0.05), suggesting bone protection. No significant differences were found in citraturia, uricosuria, phosphaturia, magnesiuria, magnesemia, natremia, or kalemia. Indapamide caused more mild adverse events, lowering adherence, while hydrochlorothiazide caused the only severe adverse effect—moderate hypokalemia. No differences in kidney stone recurrence were observed (p = 0.82). Conclusions: This is the first paper elucidating low-dose indapamide and hydrochlorothiazide efficacy and safety for the treatment of IH. No significant differences were observed between the two drugs in terms of adverse events or treatment adherence. A longer follow-up is needed to assess kidney stone recurrence. Full article

The present study analyzed the effect of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms (ApaI, TaqI, BsmI, FokI, and Cdx2) on bone mineral density (BMD), biochemical parameters and bone turnover markers, fracture prevalence, and response to three types of antiresorptive therapy (estrogen-progesterone, raloxifene, and ibandronate) in 356 postmenopausal women from Slovakia. Association analysis revealed a significant effect of BsmI polymorphism on lumbar spine BMD, serum osteocalcin (OC), and β-CrossLaps levels. While ApaI and Cdx2 polymorphisms were associated with OC and alkaline phosphatase, TaqI polymorphism affected all turnover markers. ApaI, TaqI, and BsmI genotypes increased the risk of spinal, radial, or total fractures with odds ratios ranging from 2.03 to 3.17. Each of therapy types evaluated had a beneficial effect on all osteoporosis-related traits; however, the VDR gene affected only ibandronate and raloxifene treatment. ApaI/aa, TaqI/TT, and BsmI/bb genotypes showed a weaker or no response to ibandronate therapy in femoral and spinal BMD. The impact of aforementioned polymorphisms on turnover markers was also genotype dependent. On the contrary, only TaqI and BsmI polymorphisms influenced raloxifene therapy, even only in lumbar spine BMD. These results point to the potential of using the VDR gene in personalized pharmacotherapy of osteoporosis. Full article

Background and Objectives: Cementless total hip arthroplasty leads to an early periprosthetic bone loss, which can impair the osseointegration process and lead to a femoral implant migration during early weight-bearing. An altered osseointegration process can lead to aseptic loosening, which is the most frequent late complication in these surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of alendronate and simvastatin in the prevention of early periprosthetic bone loss found in osteoporotic patients. This can lead to earlier weight-bearing in patients, as well as reduce the rate of aseptic loosening. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients undergoing cementless total hip arthroplasty were equally distributed into three groups: group I (alendronate), group II (simvastatin), and group III (control). The alendronate group received 5 mg of alendronate postoperatively, daily for 8 weeks, and the simvastatin group received 20 mg daily for 4 weeks postoperatively, followed by 40 mg daily for 4 weeks. We determined bone mineral density (BMD), as well as bone serum markers beta cross-laps (β-CTx) and alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) preoperatively, 4 weeks postoperatively, and 8 weeks postoperatively. All patients were not allowed to fully bear weight for 6 weeks postoperatively. Results: Alendronate statistically significantly increases the BMD at one month postoperatively compared to the control group in Gruen zones 5 and 6 (p = 0.042 and p = 0.039). Overall, the BMD was higher in the alendronate group compared to the control group at one month postoperatively (p = 0.043). Alendronate decreased β-CTx bone serum marker compared to control at one month and two months (p = 0.024 and p = 0.012). Moreover, alendronate showed a higher decrease in β-CTx compared to simvastatin at both timelines (p = 0.028 and p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: The study shows that alendronate administration following cementless total hip arthroplasty offers better protection against periprosthetic bone loss compared to simvastatin. Full article

Background and aims: The relationship between obesity and bone metabolism is controversial. In recent decades, the protective role of obesity in the development of osteoporosis is questioned. The aims of this study are the following: to evaluate the differences in bone turnover markers between postmenopausal women with and without obesity and to compare the risk of fracture at five years between these groups. Methods: An observational longitudinal prospective cohort study of postmenopausal women with obesity (O) (body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m²) and non-obesity (NoO) (BMI < 30 kg/m²) is designed. 250 postmenopausal women are included in the study (NoO: 124 (49.6%) and O: 126 (50.4%)). It measures epidemiological variables, dietary variables (calcium intake, vitamin D intake, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity), biochemicals (β-crosslap, type I procollagen amino-terminal peptide (P1NP), 25OH-vitamin D, and parathyroid hormone (PTH)), anthropometric variables, and fracture data five years after the start of the study. The mean age is 56.17 (3.91) years. Women with obesity showed lower levels of vitamin D (O: 17.27 (7.85) ng/mL, NoO: 24.51 (9.60) ng/mL; p < 0.01), and higher levels of PTH (O: 53.24 (38.44–65.96) pg/mL, NoO: 35.24 (25.36–42.40) pg/mL; p < 0.01). Regarding the bone formation marker (P1NP), it was found to be high in women without obesity, O: 45.46 (34.39–55.16) ng/mL, NoO: 56.74 (45.34–70.74) ng/mL; p < 0.01; the bone resorption marker (β-crosslap) was found to be high in women with obesity, being significant in those older than 59 years (O: 0.39 (0.14) ng/mL, NoO 0.24 (0.09) ng/mL; p < 0.05). No differences are observed in the risk of fracture at 5 years based on BMI (OR = 0.90 (95%CI 0.30–2.72); p = 0.85). Conclusions: Postmenopausal women with obesity showed lower levels of bone formation markers; older women with obesity showed higher markers of bone resorption. Full article

The direct effect of TSH on bone metabolism in vivo is difficult to capture as the changes of its concentrations are followed by respective alterations of thyroid hormone levels. We evaluated the effect of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) on sclerostin and other bone markers in 29 patients after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), without any signs of disease recurrence, who received L-thyroxine, most at non-suppressive doses. For two consecutive days, the patients were administered a standard dose of 0.9 mg rhTSH, i.m. Concentrations of sclerostin, osteocalcin, β-CrossLaps, PTH, and some other parameters, were measured before and five days after the first rhTSH administration. The greater the increase in TSH concentration (∆TSH), the greater the decrease in: ∆sclerostin (r = −0.672; p < 0.001), ∆β-CrossLaps (r = −0.580; p < 0.001) and ∆osteocalcin (r = −0.405; p = 0.029) levels, were recorded. The degree of TSH increase depended on the baseline PTH (r = 0.651; p < 0.001), age, and creatinine concentrations. rhTSH strongly inhibited bone turnover, thus, TSH—independently of thyroid hormones—exerted a direct protective effect on bone metabolism. Baseline PTH affected the magnitude of TSH increase and the degree of lowering in sclerostin and β-CrossLaps that suggest factors affecting PTH may play a role in the effect of TSH on the bone. Full article

Risk factors for bone loss in HIV patients might differ or have a different impact in African descent compared to Caucasian populations. The aim of the paper is to analyze the relevance of risk factors on surrogate markers of bone metabolism in HIV-infected African descent and Caucasian patients. This is a cross-sectional study in a single HIV-specialized research and clinical care center in Munich, Germany. We included 889 patients in the study, among them 771 Caucasians (86.7%). Only in Caucasians lower vitamin D levels [OR: 2.5 (95CI: 1.6-3.7)], lower calcium levels [OR: 1.8 (1.2-2.8)], and the use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [OR: 2.8 (1.8-4.4)] were significantly associated with elevated PTH in multivariate analysis. Likewise, only in Caucasians elevated PTH was significantly associated with elevated markers of c-terminal telopeptides of collagen type 1 (β-CTX) [OR: 1.7 (1.0-3.0)]. Effects of traditional risk factors for secondary hyperparathyroidism and increased markers of bone turn-over seem to be less distinct in African descent HIV patients. The clinical impact and generalizability of this finding as well as the significance of vitamin D supplementation in African descent patients therefore warrants further investigation. Full article