Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Bisphosphonates may influence vascular calcification and atheroma formation via farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase inhibition in the mevalonate pathway regulating bone and lipid metabolism. However, the clinical impact of NCB use on cardiovascular outcomes rema...

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Main Authors: Elena Ghotbi, Nikhil Subhas, Michael P. Bancks, Sammy Elmariah, Jonathan L. Halperin, David A. Bluemke, Bryan R Kestenbaum, R. Graham Barr, Wendy S. Post, Matthew Budoff, João A. C. Lima, Shadpour Demehri
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/13/1727
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author Elena Ghotbi
Nikhil Subhas
Michael P. Bancks
Sammy Elmariah
Jonathan L. Halperin
David A. Bluemke
Bryan R Kestenbaum
R. Graham Barr
Wendy S. Post
Matthew Budoff
João A. C. Lima
Shadpour Demehri
author_facet Elena Ghotbi
Nikhil Subhas
Michael P. Bancks
Sammy Elmariah
Jonathan L. Halperin
David A. Bluemke
Bryan R Kestenbaum
R. Graham Barr
Wendy S. Post
Matthew Budoff
João A. C. Lima
Shadpour Demehri
author_sort Elena Ghotbi
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Bisphosphonates may influence vascular calcification and atheroma formation via farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase inhibition in the mevalonate pathway regulating bone and lipid metabolism. However, the clinical impact of NCB use on cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain, largely due to methodological heterogeneity in prior studies. We aimed to evaluate the association between nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate (NCB) therapy and coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression, as well as the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) events. <b>Methods:</b> From 6814 participants in MESA Exam 1, we excluded males (insufficient male NCB users in the MESA cohort), pre-menopausal women, baseline NCB users, and users of hormone replacement therapy, raloxifene, or calcitonin. Among 166 NCB initiators and 1571 non-users with available CAC measurements, propensity score matching was performed using the available components of FRAX, namely age, race, BMI, LDL cholesterol, alcohol, smoking, and steroid use, and baseline CAC yielded 165 NCB initiators matched to 473 non-users (1:3 ratio). Linear mixed-effects models evaluated CAC progression, and Cox models analyzed incident CVD and CHD events. <b>Results:</b> In the overall cohort, NCB use was not significantly associated with CAC progression (annual change: −0.01 log Agatston units; 95% CI: −0.05 to 0.01). However, among participants with a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 65 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup>, NCB use was associated with attenuated CAC progression compared with non-users (−0.06 log Agatston units/year; 95% CI: −0.12 to −0.007). No significant association was observed between NCB use and incident CVD events in the overall cohort (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.60−1.36) or within kidney function subgroups. <b>Conclusions:</b> Incident NCB use among postmenopausal women with mild or no CAC at baseline was associated with reduced CAC progression only in women with impaired kidney function. However, this association did not correspond to a decreased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events, suggesting that the observed imaging benefit may not translate into meaningful clinical association.
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spelling doaj-art-7d55fb3417c441428471cf00b0483df12025-08-20T03:50:16ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-07-011513172710.3390/diagnostics15131727Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of AtherosclerosisElena Ghotbi0Nikhil Subhas1Michael P. Bancks2Sammy Elmariah3Jonathan L. Halperin4David A. Bluemke5Bryan R Kestenbaum6R. Graham Barr7Wendy S. Post8Matthew Budoff9João A. C. Lima10Shadpour Demehri11Department of Radiology and Radiologic Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USADepartment of Radiology and Radiologic Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USADivision of Public Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology & Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USADivision of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USAThe Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, USADepartment of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, USADivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USADepartment of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USADivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USALundquist Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Torrance, CA 90502, USADivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USADepartment of Radiology and Radiologic Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Bisphosphonates may influence vascular calcification and atheroma formation via farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase inhibition in the mevalonate pathway regulating bone and lipid metabolism. However, the clinical impact of NCB use on cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain, largely due to methodological heterogeneity in prior studies. We aimed to evaluate the association between nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate (NCB) therapy and coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression, as well as the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) events. <b>Methods:</b> From 6814 participants in MESA Exam 1, we excluded males (insufficient male NCB users in the MESA cohort), pre-menopausal women, baseline NCB users, and users of hormone replacement therapy, raloxifene, or calcitonin. Among 166 NCB initiators and 1571 non-users with available CAC measurements, propensity score matching was performed using the available components of FRAX, namely age, race, BMI, LDL cholesterol, alcohol, smoking, and steroid use, and baseline CAC yielded 165 NCB initiators matched to 473 non-users (1:3 ratio). Linear mixed-effects models evaluated CAC progression, and Cox models analyzed incident CVD and CHD events. <b>Results:</b> In the overall cohort, NCB use was not significantly associated with CAC progression (annual change: −0.01 log Agatston units; 95% CI: −0.05 to 0.01). However, among participants with a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 65 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup>, NCB use was associated with attenuated CAC progression compared with non-users (−0.06 log Agatston units/year; 95% CI: −0.12 to −0.007). No significant association was observed between NCB use and incident CVD events in the overall cohort (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.60−1.36) or within kidney function subgroups. <b>Conclusions:</b> Incident NCB use among postmenopausal women with mild or no CAC at baseline was associated with reduced CAC progression only in women with impaired kidney function. However, this association did not correspond to a decreased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events, suggesting that the observed imaging benefit may not translate into meaningful clinical association.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/13/1727bisphosphonatescoronary artery calcium (CAC) scorepost-menopausal womenglomerular filtration rate (GFR)
spellingShingle Elena Ghotbi
Nikhil Subhas
Michael P. Bancks
Sammy Elmariah
Jonathan L. Halperin
David A. Bluemke
Bryan R Kestenbaum
R. Graham Barr
Wendy S. Post
Matthew Budoff
João A. C. Lima
Shadpour Demehri
Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Diagnostics
bisphosphonates
coronary artery calcium (CAC) score
post-menopausal women
glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
title Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
title_full Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
title_fullStr Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
title_full_unstemmed Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
title_short Bisphosphonate Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes According to Kidney Function Status in Post-Menopausal Women: An Emulated Target Trial from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
title_sort bisphosphonate use and cardiovascular outcomes according to kidney function status in post menopausal women an emulated target trial from the multi ethnic study of atherosclerosis
topic bisphosphonates
coronary artery calcium (CAC) score
post-menopausal women
glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/13/1727
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