Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The Effect of Alendronate on Fracture-Related Healthcare Utilization and Costs: The Fracture Intervention Trial

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Osteoporosis International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

The Vertebral Fracture Arm (VFA) of the Fracture Intervention Trial (FIT) study demonstrated that alendronate reduced the incidence of spine, forearm and hip fractures in women with low bone mass and existing vertebral fractures by about 50%. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of alendronate therapy versus placebo on fracture-related healthcare utilization and costs. Participants were randomly assigned to double-masked treatment with alendronate (5 mg/day for 2 years and then 10 mg/day for 1 year) or placebo for 3 years. For each patient experiencing a clinical fracture, we determined whether treatment in an emergency room, hospital, nursing home and/or rehabilitation hospital was a consequence of the fracture. The VFA of the FIT Study enrolled 2027 women aged 55–81 years with low bone mass and pre-existing vertebral fractures from population-based listings in 11 metropolitan areas of the United States. We measured (1) the proportion of patients who had any fracture-related healthcare event and (2) the estimated cost of fracture-related healthcare services. Alendronate significantly reduced the proportion of patients utilizing fracture-related healthcare (emergency room, hospital, rehabilitation hospital or nursing home) by 25% (p= 0.038). Alendronate significantly reduced the costs associated with hip-fracture-related care by 58%, or $181 per patient randomized (p= 0.036). The reduction in fracture-related total costs was 35% ($190 per patient randomized) in the alendronate group relative to the placebo group (p= 0.114). Alendronate thus not only reduces the incidence of clinical fractures and associated morbidity, but reduces the proportion of patients utilizing the associated healthcare resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Consortia

Additional information

Received: 30 October 2000 / Accepted: 8 February 2001

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chrischilles, E., Dasbach, E., Rubenstein, L. et al. The Effect of Alendronate on Fracture-Related Healthcare Utilization and Costs: The Fracture Intervention Trial. Osteoporos Int 12, 654–660 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001980170065

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001980170065

Navigation