Health
No link between bisphosphonates and atrial fibrillation, FDA says
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 8, 2008
After reviewing safety data, the Food and Drug Administration announced Nov. 12 it had found no association between bisphosphonates and atrial fibrillation.
Recent studies had suggested that people prescribed bisphosphonates were more likely to experience serious atrial fibrillation than were patients receiving placebo.
The FDA said it had reviewed data on nearly 20,000 patients treated with bisphosphonates and a nearly equal number who were treated with placebo. The agency found there were very few atrial fibrillation events at all and there was no association between any of the events and the popular bone-building medication.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/12/08/hlbf1208.htm.
