[Are statins of value in therapy of osteoporosis?]

The statins do not only lower cholesterol. They may have also many other positive effects. The effects beyond lipid reduction are called pleiotropic effects. One of the most interesting points is the relationship between the statins and osteoporosis. They may stimulate bone formation and as a consequence they may reduce the risk of fracture. In the past years several studies were published concerning this topic. A number of observational studies found a decreased incidence of fractures among patients who take statins, but other studies did not. Prospective randomized controlled studies are necessary to exclude the possibility of unmeasured confounding variables. At the moment we have not enough data to give an answer to the question, if statins are a usefull opportunity in the treatment of osteoporosis. What we know now is, that the statins may be an interesting drug in the future for the treatment of osteoporosis, although many things are unclear, such as the right dose or the duration of treatment.