Statins are among the most widely prescribed medications in older individuals. Inconsistent data in humans suggest that statin medications may be associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD) and lower risk for osteoporosis. We identified 22鈥�393 individuals aged 40聽yr and older undergoing initial (Visit 1) and repeat (Visit 2) total hip BMD measurement within 1-10聽yr total from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) through the Manitoba BMD Program (February 28, 1999 to March 29, 2018). Linked medication records showed that 4119 (18.3%) of the study population were statin users at Visit 1 and 6667 (29.8%) were statin users at Visit 2. There was inconsistent and largely negative evidence for prior statin use affecting initial total hip BMD measurement or BMD change during follow-up. Even among those with the greatest exposure (mean 5.1聽yr of prior statin use with high adherence), the observed effects on covariate-adjusted initial total hip BMD or annualized change in total hip BMD change did not show clinically significant differences. In summary, this large observational analysis, which included both cross-sectional and longitudinal components, failed to detect a clinically meaningful benefit of statin exposure on bone density, even when taken with high adherence over several years.
Statins are among the most widely prescribed medications in older individuals. Some studies have suggested that statin medications may be associated with lower risk for osteoporosis. In 22鈥�393 individuals undergoing initial and repeat bone density measurements, we failed to detect a clinically meaningful effect of statin exposure on bone density, even when taken consistently over several years.
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