The study, which examined 310 osteoporosis patients who suffered from femur fractures, found that a startling 94 percent of the patients had taken bisphosphonates for longer than five years.
Bisphosphonates are most commonly used as medical treatment in women. The most common types of bisphosphonates go by the brand names of Actonel, Boniva, and Fosamax.
Dr. Elizabeth Shane, a professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and co-author of the report, warned that the relationship between bisphosphonates and femur fracture cases was not a coincidence.
“Based on the report, we now feel that there is a definitive relationship between these class of drugs and these fractures, and it’s even stronger in those taking those drugs for a long time,” she said, according to ABC News.
The report called for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to start putting femur fracture warning labels on the drugs. However, because such fractures are infrequent, the study recommended that patients continue to use the drugs as prescribed.
“These thigh fractures are unusual and uncommon, particularly when you view them in the context of more common osteoporosis fractures, such as rib, spine, and arm fractures,” Shane noted.
