Effects of risedronate on lumbar bone mineral density, bone resorption, and incidence of vertebral fracture in elderly male patients with leprosy

There is no well-established treatment for osteoporosis in male patients with leprosy, because no clinical trials have examined the efficacy of treatment on bone mineral density (BMD) or fracture incidence in such patients. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect on oral administration of risedronate in male osteoporotic patients with leprosy. Twenty-three male patients with leprosy, 63-87 years of age, were randomly divided into two administration groups: R group (risedronate, 2.5 mg/day, daily) and P group (placebo, daily). The BMD of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and urinary cross linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment. There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, BMD, or urinary NTX levels at baseline between the two groups. In the present study, oral administration of risedronate apparently prevented vertebral fractures by increasing lumbar BMD and caused a significant reduction in urinary NTX levels, while oral administration of placebo did not increase the lumbar BMD and prevent vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis. The above findings suggested that oral administration of risedronate contributed to the prevention of vertebral fractures by suppressing bone resorption and increasing in lumbar BMD in the elderly male patients with leprosy.