Drug News
Osteoporosis drug doubles risk of atrial fibrillation
By Ben Wasserman
Apr 29, 2008 - 9:35:04 AM

TUESDAY April 29, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- Fosamax, a drug used to treat osteoporosis doubles a woman's chance of developing atrial fibrillation, according to a study released Monday in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Atrial fibrillation is in itself not life-threatening, but may result in palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or congestive heart failure and stroke, according to wikipedia.

Fosamax is the only drug that helps build bone in women who are prone to osteoporosis and reduces hip fractures by as much as 63 percent, USA Today reported.

In the study of more than 1,700 women, Susan Heckbert of the University of Washington and colleagues found that 6.5 percent of those who received Fosamax had atrial fibrillation compared to 4.1 percent among those who did not receive the drug.

Heckbert cautioned women not to stop taking Fosamax without talking to their care providers. "For women at high risk, the drug's benefit will vastly outweigh the risk of atrial fibrillation," she was quoted by ABC News as saying.