Clinical Trials Directory

Trials / Completed

CompletedNCT00138983

Prevention of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis in Rheumatic Diseases: Alendronate Versus Alfacalcidol.

Prevention of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis in Patients With Rheumatic Diseases. The STOP-Study: a Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial With Alendronate Versus Alfacalcidol.

Status
Completed
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
200 (planned)
Sponsor
UMC Utrecht · Academic / Other
Sex
All
Age
18 Years – 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine wich treatment is the most effective in prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in patients with rheumatic diseases. The STOP-study: a randomized placebo controlled trial with alendronate versus alfacalcidol.

Detailed description

Treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) is associated with bone loss initiated already early in therapy, causing increased (vertebral) fracture risk. Bone loss is caused by inhibition of bone formation by GCs. Active vitamin D analogues like alfacalcidol directly stimulate osteoblasts leading to an increase in bone formation. Bisphosphonates like alendronate induce apoptosis of osteoclasts leading to inhibition of bone resorption. We performed a randomized, double-placebo, double-blind clinical trial of 18 months duration in patients with a rheumatic disease, starting GCs in a dosage of 7.5 mg prednisone equivalent daily or higher. Two hundred one patients were allocated to receive either alendronate 10 mg and alfacalcidol-placebo daily or alfacalcidol 1 microgram and alendronate-placebo daily. Primary outcome was change in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in 18 months, secondary outcome incidence of (symptomatic) morphometric vertebral deformities.

Conditions

Interventions

TypeNameDescription
DRUGAlendronate versus alfacalcidol (1-alpha OH vitamin D)

Timeline

Start date
2000-05-01
Completion
2003-11-01
First posted
2005-08-30
Last updated
2006-11-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Netherlands

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT00138983. Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement.