Large Study Finds No Significant Bone Density Benefit From Statin Use
Canada: A new large-scale study from Canada has found that the use of statins—commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs—does not appear to offer a clinically meaningful benefit to bone mineral density (BMD), even when taken consistently over many years. The findings, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, come from researchers led by Dr. William D. Leslie of the University of Manitoba and help clarify a long-standing debate on whether statins could play a role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Statins are among the most frequently prescribed medications, particularly in older adults, and earlier animal studies have suggested they might have a positive effect on bone health. However, evidence in humans has been inconsistent. To investigate this further, researchers analyzed data from the Manitoba Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Registry, focusing on 22,393 individuals aged 40 and above who underwent initial and follow-up DEXA scans between 1999 and 2018.
The study examined both cross-sectional and longitudinal data to evaluate how statin use might influence hip bone density over time.
The key findings were as follows:
- At the first bone scan (Visit 1), 18.3% of participants were using statins.
- By the second scan (Visit 2), statin use had increased to 29.8% of participants.
- The time between Visit 1 and Visit 2 ranged from 1 to 10 years, with an average interval of 4.5 years.
- Statin use showed no clinically meaningful impact on baseline total hip bone mineral density (BMD) or on the rate of BMD loss over time.
- The average annual decrease in total hip BMD among all participants was 0.31%.
- In unadjusted analysis, minimal statin users showed a slightly higher rate of BMD loss compared to nonusers, but this difference did not persist across other levels of statin exposure.
- Participants with long-term, high-adherence statin use (averaging over five years) did not exhibit significant differences in BMD changes when adjusted for other variables.
“Our analysis did not identify any meaningful benefit of statin therapy on hip bone density, even in patients with high levels of adherence and long-term use,” the authors noted.
Given its robust sample size and both cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluation, the study adds substantial weight to the conclusion that statins are unlikely to have a major role in preserving or improving bone density in clinical practice. The results challenge prior suggestions that statins might help mitigate osteoporosis risk and underscore the need for continued investigation into more effective bone health interventions.
Reference:
Leslie, W. D., Zarzour, F., Binkley, N., Morin, S. N., & Schousboe, J. T. Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Statin Use and Bone Density: The Manitoba BMD Registry. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmr/zjaf077
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