Effect of Risedronate on the Risk of Hip Fracture in Elderly Women

Hip fractures cause substantial disability and are associated with a high rate of death among elderly women, 1 but there have been few studies of the effects of drug treatment on the risk of hip fracture. Observational studies suggest that estrogen may reduce the risk of hip fracture. 2 – 4 Alendronate reduced the risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women with low bone mass at the femoral neck or with previous vertebral fractures, but not in women without those risk factors. 5 , 6 Numerous risk factors for hip fracture have been identified. 7 – 13 In general, these risk factors can be categorized as skeletal . . .