01 Mar Bisphosphonate in First Year of HIV Treatment Reduces Bone Loss
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Igho Ofotukun
Dr. Igho Ofotokun MD MSc
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Grady Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Ofotokun: This work is focused on preventing further bone loss in HIV-infected patients and thus reducing the risk of future bone fractures. HIV infection is associated with a state of enhanced bone loss. HIV treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) further worsens rather than improve bone loss. Almost all HAART regimens that have been examined have been associated with bone loss. The consequence of this skeletal assualt is markedly elevated fracture prevalence among individuals living with HIV across a wide age range.
It turns that the predominance of HAART associated bone loss occur within the first year of initiating therapy. In this study, we administered a single dose of 5 mg IV zoledronic acid, a long-acting bisphosphonate at the same time of HAART initiation to prevent HAART associated bone loss. At this dose, zoledronic acid prevented enhance bone resorption in all participants and completely blunted bone mineral density loss over the 48 weeks study follow up period.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Ofotokun: This study demonstrated that HAART associated bone loss occurring within the first year of therapy can be completely prevented with this simple intervention. It requires a one time administration, no additional pill burden, and it was observed to be safe and well tolerated. If validated in larger study, this could become part of standard of care to protect the skeleton in the aging HIV population.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Ofotokun: We recommend and are proposing a larger multi center study to confirm these findings.
Citation:
Nat Commun. 2015 Sep 22;6:8282. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9282.
Role of T-cell reconstitution in HIV-1 antiretroviral therapy-induced bone loss.
Ofotokun I1,2, Titanji K3, Vikulina T3, Roser-Page S4, Yamaguchi M3, Zayzafoon M5, Williams IR6, Weitzmann MN3,4.
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Dr. Igho Ofotokun (2016). Bisphosphonate in First Year of HIV Treatment Reduces Bone Loss
Last Updated on March 1, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD