Efficacy and safety of strontium ranelate in the treatment of osteoporosis in men.

CONTEXT

Strontium ranelate reduces vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of strontium ranelate in osteoporosis in men over 2 years (main analysis after 1 year).

DESIGN

This was an international, unbalanced (2:1), double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial (MALEO [MALE Osteoporosis]).

SETTING

This international study included 54 centers in 14 countries.

PARTICIPANTS

PARTICIPANTS were 261 white men with primary osteoporosis.

INTERVENTION

Strontium ranelate at 2 g/d (n = 174) or placebo (n = 87) was administered.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Lumbar spine (L2-L4), femoral neck, and total hip bone mineral density (BMD), biochemical bone markers, and safety were measured.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups in the whole population (age, 72.9 ± 6.0 years; lumbar spine BMD T-score, -2.7 ± 1.0; femoral neck BMD T-score, -2.3 ± 0.7). Men who received strontium ranelate over 2 years had greater increases in lumbar spine BMD than those who received placebo (relative change from baseline to end, 9.7% ± 7.5% vs 2.0% ± 5.5%; between-group difference estimate (SE), 7.7% (0.9%); 95% confidence interval, 5.9%-9.5%; P < .001). There were also significant between-group differences in relative changes in femoral neck BMD (P < .001) and total hip BMD (P < .001). At the end of treatment, mean levels of serum cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen, a marker of bone resorption, were increased in both the strontium ranelate group (10.7% ± 58.0%; P = .022) and the placebo group (34.9% ± 65.8%; P < .001). The corresponding mean changes of bone alkaline phosphatase, a marker of bone formation, were 6.4% ± 28.5% (P = .005) and 1.9% ± 25.4% (P = .505), respectively. After 2 years, the blood strontium level (129 ± 66 μmol/L) was similar to that in trials of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Strontium ranelate was generally well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of strontium ranelate on BMD in osteoporotic men were similar to those in postmenopausal osteoporotic women, supporting its use in the treatment of osteoporosis in men.