Common osteoporosis medications can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

A new study announced at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) showed that the widely used anti-osteoporosis drug alendronic acid can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

For decades, it has been known that people with diabetes have a higher risk of fractures-suggesting a link between blood sugar regulation and bone quality

"Therefore, we speculate that the treatment of osteoporosis may affect the risk of type 2 diabetes," said Dr.

In order to find more information, Dr.

As the first-line treatment for osteoporosis, alendronate and other bisphosphonates help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of fractures

All type 2 diabetes patients in Denmark from 2008 to 2018

The prescription record was used to determine whether the participant had ever prescribed alendronic acid

The average age of 163588 type 2 diabetic patients and 490764 non-diabetic patients was 67 years old, of which 55% were men

Analysis shows that patients who take alendronic acid are 34% less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those who have never taken alendronate

Compared with people who have never taken alendronate, taking alendronate for at least 8 years may reduce the risk by more than half (53%)

Further analysis shows that this is a dose-dependent effect, that is, the longer the medication is taken, the lower the chance of suffering from the disease

The authors of the study said that it is unclear how alendronic acid reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes

It is not yet known whether other drugs for treating osteoporosis have the same effect

Dr.

"Excitingly, our research shows that alendronic acid, an inexpensive drug widely used to treat osteoporosis, can also prevent type 2 diabetes

"We believe that doctors should take this into consideration when prescribing osteoporosis drugs to patients with prediabetes or high-risk type 2 diabetes

###

Reference source: "Diabetologia" magazine