Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and bone fractures: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Thiazolidinediones and insulin are associated with a higher risk of fractures in type 2 diabetic patients. Incretin hormones increase bone density in experimental models, but the effect of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors on bone fractures has not been reported so far.

A meta-analysis was performed including all randomized clinical trials with a duration of at least 24 weeks, enrolling patients with type 2 diabetes, comparing DPP-4 inhibitors with placebo or active drugs.

Twenty-eight trials enrolling 11,880 and 9,175 patients for DPP-4 inhibitors and comparators, respectively, were included, reporting 63 fractures. DPP-4 inhibitors, compared with placebo or other treatments, were associated with a reduced risk of fractures (Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio [MH-OR] 0.60, 95% CI 0.37-0.99, P = 0.045), even after the exclusion of comparisons with thiazolidinediones or sulfonylureas (MH-OR 0.56, 0.33-0.93, P = 0.026).

The present meta-analysis suggests that treatment with DPP-4 inhibitors could be associated with a reduced risk of bone fractures.