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Nitroglycerin ointment for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis
Robert D Beckett1, Amy Heck Sheehan
1Manchester College School of Pharmacy, Fort Wayne, IN, USA.
Objective:
To determine whether clinical trial data support the use of nitroglycerin for prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Data Sources:
A literature search using MEDLINE (1966-September 2011) and EMBASE (1973-September 2011) was conducted using the search terms nitroglycerin, bone mineral density, fracture, and osteoporosis. References of identified articles were reviewed for additional citations.
Study Selection And Data Extraction:
All English-language articles related to the use of nitroglycerin ointment in postmenopausal women were reviewed.
Data Synthesis:
Four observational studies reported significant improvements in bone mineral density of postmenopausal women with the use of nitrates. One pilot study and 2 prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials reported conflicting results regarding the efficacy of nitroglycerin ointment.
Conclusions:
Clinical data do not support use of nitroglycerin for this indication; its potential is limited at this time by inconclusive efficacy and a high incidence of headache. Further well-designed clinical trials demonstrating efficacy and safety of nitroglycerin ointment for prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis are needed before this medication can be recommended for routine use.
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