Retraction Note to: Effect of whole-body vibration exercise on lumbar bone mineral density, bone turnover, and chronic back pain in post-menopausal osteoporotic women treated with alendronate.

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article [1] because an investigation by Keio University has concluded that there are inaccuracies in the data reported.

Retraction Note: Three-year Experience with Alendronate Treatment in Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Japanese Women with or without Renal Dysfunction: A Retrospective Study.

The Editor has retracted this article [Iwamoto J, Sato Y, Uzawa M, Takeda T, Matsumoto H. Three-year Experience with Alendronate Treatment in Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Japanese Women with or without Renal Dysfunction: A Retrospective Study. Drugs Aging 2012; 29(2): 133-142.]. After publication, serious concerns were raised with respect to the reporting of the study design, methodology, data and authorship, and the Editor no longer has confidence in this article. Hideo Matsumoto and Tsuyoshi Takeda agree with this retraction. Jun Iwamoto and Mitsuyoshi Uzawa have not responded to correspondence about this retraction. Yoshihiro Sato is deceased.

Establishment of an appropriate fall prevention program: A community-based study.

AIM: To identify an appropriate community-based fall prevention program METHODS: We introduced two programs to 24 senior centers, "community salons," in a Japanese city, and carried out a prospective controlled trial between 2004 and 2005. Eight salons (185 participants aged 72.0 ± 7.1 years) received a single-visit program consisting of one multidisciplinary team visit that included fall risk assessment with feedback and a fall prevention lecture. A total of 16 salons (418 participants aged 73.6 ± 7.4 years) received a year-round comprehensive program, with visits carried out every 3 months. We compared the fall rates for 1 year between the two programs. Based on the results, we implemented a modified program until 2014 and examined the long-term consequences. RESULTS: In the prospective controlled trial, fall rates did not differ significantly between programs (P = 0.449). Instead, fall rates for both programs decreased significantly by 0.89 (95% CI 0.84-0.94) times each month. Therefore, we implemented a modified version of the single-visit program. By March 2014, the programs had been delivered to 1863 individuals, and the total number of attendees was 6622. The average attendance frequency per participant was 0.62 times per year. The majority (85.3%) of salons requested the program every year. Overall, the risk of falling (fall rates in the preceding year) decreased significantly as the number of program attendances increased (incident rate ratio = 0.89, 95% CI 0.85-0.92) irrespective of initial program types. CONCLUSIONS: The programs including fall risk assessment with feedback and a fall prevention lecture reduced falls when embedded into the community, and they were accepted well over the course of 10 years. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1081-1089.

Experience with alendronate treatment for 7 years among Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures.

A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the outcome of alendronate treatment for 7 years among Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures. Thirty-five Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures (mean age at baseline 58.2 years) who had been treated with alendronate for over 7 years in our outpatient clinic were analyzed. The lumbar spine or total hip bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; the urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and the serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were monitored; the incidence of fractures during the 7-year treatment period was then assessed. The urinary NTX and serum ALP levels decreased (-46.1% at 3 months and -21.1% at 7 years, respectively) and the lumbar spine and total hip BMD increased (+14.2 and +10.1% at 7 years, respectively), compared with the baseline values. Four patients (11.4%) experienced vertebral fractures, and one patient (2.9%) experienced a nonvertebral fracture. No serious adverse events were observed, including osteonecrosis of the jaw or atypical femoral fractures. These results suggested that alendronate suppressed bone turnover and increased the lumbar spine and total hip BMD from the baseline values over the course of the 7-year treatment period without causing any severe adverse events in Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures.

Eleven years of experience with bisphosphonate plus alfacalcidol treatment in a man with osteogenesis imperfecta type I.

We report the 11-year follow-up of a man with osteogenesis imperfecta type I who was treated with bisphosphonates and alfacalcidol. A 36-year-old Japanese man with osteogenesis imperfecta type I who had frequently experienced painful fragility fractures consulted our clinic because of chronic back pain. The patient had multiple morphometric vertebral fractures and a low bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine. The patient was treated with cyclical etidronate 200 mg, for 2 weeks every 3 months, plus alfacalcidol 1 µg daily, for 2 years; and alendronate 5 mg daily or 35 mg weekly, plus alfacalcidol 1 µg daily for 9 years. After 11 years of treatment, BMD at the lumbar spine increased by 6.4%, following a 20.3% reduction in serum alkaline phosphatase. Serum calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone levels remained within the normal ranges. Three clinical fractures occurred at two ribs and the metacarpus, and two morphometric vertebral fractures occurred at the thoracic spine during the 11-year treatment period, but the patient experienced no adverse effects. Thus, the present case report shows the long-term outcome and safety of bisphosphonate plus alfacalcidol treatment in a man with osteogenesis imperfecta type I.

Five-year follow-up of a woman with pregnancy and lactation-associated osteoporosis and vertebral fractures.

We report the 5-year follow-up of a young woman who developed vertebral fractures after pregnancy and lactation and was treated with active vitamin D hormone. A 32-year-old Japanese woman consulted us because of acute lower back pain caused by L2 and L5 vertebral fractures after pregnancy and lactation. Following cessation of breast-feeding, analgesia, bed rest, and wearing of a hard brace, her lower back pain disappeared within 2 months. After 5 years of treatment with alfacalcidol 1 µg daily, the lumbar spine (L1, L3, L4) bone mineral density increased by 21.4% following vigorous reductions in bone turnover markers. No osteoporotic fractures occurred, and the vertebral fractures healed. The patient experienced no side effects, including hypercalcemia. Thus, the present case report shows long-term changes in bone turnover markers and lumbar spine bone mineral density, as well as long-term safety of alfacalcidol treatment in a young woman with pregnancy and lactation-associated osteoporosis and vertebral fractures.

Three-year experience with alendronate treatment in postmenopausal osteoporotic Japanese women with or without renal dysfunction: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of fragility fractures. A retrospective study was conducted to compare outcomes after 3 years of alendronate treatment in postmenopausal osteoporotic Japanese women with or without renal dysfunction (RD). METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five postmenopausal osteoporotic Japanese women (mean age at baseline: 68 years) who had been treated with alendronate in our outpatient clinic for more than 3 years were analysed. The lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) of patients was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were monitored during the 3-year treatment period. The incidence of osteoporotic fractures was also assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-six women had RD with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The urinary NTX and serum ALP levels significantly decreased and the lumbar spine BMD significantly increased, compared with the baseline values, in a manner that was similar among women with or without RD. However, the incidence of non-vertebral fractures, but not that of vertebral fractures, was significantly higher among women with RD than among women without RD. CONCLUSIONS: Alendronate treatment appeared to have a similar effect on surrogate markers in postmenopausal osteoporotic Japanese women with or without RD. However, further studies are needed to confirm that RD may increase the risk of non-vertebral fractures in patients treated with alendronate.

Seven years' experience with etidronate in a woman with anorexia nervosa and vertebral fractures.

We report the case of a 30-year-old Japanese woman with anorexia nervosa and vertebral fractures who was treated with etidronate. She had a history of anorexia nervosa, chronic back pain, osteoporosis, and multiple vertebral fractures (morphometric fractures) that responded poorly to treatment with alfacalcidol (1 µg daily) for 1 year and was treated with cyclical etidronate (200 mg for 2 weeks every 3 months) for 7 years. The lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) increased, and the serum alkaline phosphatase and urinary cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen levels and back pain decreased. During the 7-year period of treatment with etidronate, no osteoporotic fractures occurred. The patient experienced neither renal dysfunction nor hyperparathyroidism caused by osteomalacia. No gastrointestinal tract symptoms were observed. Thus, etidronate was effective for increasing the lumbar spine BMD and reducing back pain over a 7-year period without causing either osteoporotic fractures or adverse events.

Three-year experience with combined treatment with alendronate and alfacalcidol in Japanese patients with severe bone loss and osteoporotic fracture.

PURPOSE: Combined treatment with alendronate and alfacalcidol is more useful to increase bone mineral density (BMD) than alendronate or alfacalcidol alone. A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the 3-year outcome of combined treatment with alendronate and alfacalcidol in patients with severe bone loss (BMD ≤ 50% of the young adult mean) and osteoporotic fracture. METHODS: Thirty-four patients (six men and 28 postmenopausal women) with primary or secondary osteoporosis who had been treated with alendronate and alfacalcidol for more than 3 years were analyzed. The lumbar spine or total hip BMD and bone turnover markers were monitored, and the incidence of osteoporotic fractures was assessed. RESULTS: The urinary level of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen and serum level of alkaline phosphatase significantly decreased (-42.5% at 3 months and -18.9% at 3 years), and the lumbar spine BMD, but not the total hip BMD, significantly increased (14.8% at 3 years), compared with the baseline values. However, the incidence of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures was 26.5% and 2.9%, respectively, suggesting a high incidence of vertebral fractures. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that combined treatment with alendronate and alfacalcidol may be useful to reduce bone turnover and increase the lumbar spine BMD in patients with severe bone loss and osteoporotic fracture. However, its efficacy against vertebral fractures appears not to be sufficient. Thus, anabolic agents such as teriparatide should be taken into consideration as first-line drugs in patients with severe osteoporosis.

RETRACTED: Three-year experience with alendronate treatment in postmenopausal osteoporotic Japanese women with or without type 2 diabetes.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief due to concerns about the integrity of the research reported. The concerns include but are not limited to study conduct, including discrepancies in reporting of study design and methodology, unacknowledged text and data duplication, and implausible timeframes and data.

A radiographic study on the associations of age and prevalence of vertebral fractures with abdominal aortic calcification in Japanese postmenopausal women and men.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the associations of age and history of non- and low-traumatic fractures with the severity of abdominal aortic calcification in Japanese postmenopausal women and men. Four hundred and one Japanese persons (24 men and 377 postmenopausal women, mean age: 73.8 years) for whom thoracic and lumbar spine radiographs had been obtained to evaluate their posture prior to patient participation in a fall-prevention exercise program were enrolled. The associations of sex, age, history of hip fracture, prevalence of vertebral fracture, and spondylosis grade (the Nathan degree) with the severity of abdominal aortic calcification (length of calcification, as evaluated according to the number of vertebral bodies) were analyzed. Nine subjects (2.2%) had a history of hip fracture, and 221 (55.1%) had at least one prevalent vertebral fracture. Two hundred and sixty-seven subjects (66.6%) had first-degree spondylosis. Age and the number of prevalent vertebral fractures, but not sex, history of hip fracture, or spondylosis grade, were significantly associated with the severity of abdominal aortic calcification. The present study confirmed that age and the number of vertebral fractures were associated with the severity of abdominal aortic calcification in Japanese postmenopausal women and men.

Seven years' experience with alendronate in postmenopausal Japanese women with osteoporosis.

A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the outcome of alendronate (ALN) treatment for seven years in postmenopausal Japanese women with osteoporosis. Forty-seven postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (mean age at baseline 65.7 years) treated with ALN for over seven years in our outpatient clinic were analyzed. Lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were monitored during the seven-year treatment period. Urinary NTX and serum ALP levels decreased (-48.2% at three months and -15.7% at seven years, respectively) and lumbar spine BMD increased (+12.8% at seven years) compared with baseline values. No serious adverse events were observed, including osteonecrosis of jaw, atypical femoral diaphysis fractures, or atrial fibrillation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the outcome of ALN treatment for seven years in Japanese patients with osteoporosis. ALN successfully suppressed bone turnover and increased lumbar spine BMD from the baseline value over the course of the seven-year treatment period without causing any severe adverse events.

Effect of alendronate on bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in post-gastrectomy osteoporotic patients.

Alendronate decreases the urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX; about 45% at 3 months) and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP; about 27% at 24 months), leading to an increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD; about 9% at 24 months) in postmenopausal Japanese women with osteoporosis. However, the effectiveness of oral bisphosphonates on osteoporosis remains to be established in patients who have undergone a gastrectomy. The objective of the present case series study was to examine the effect of alendronate on BMD and bone turnover markers in post-gastrectomy osteoporotic patients. Sixteen patients (3 men and 13 postmenopausal women) with osteoporosis, who had undergone a gastrectomy (mean age: 69.1 years), were recruited in our outpatient clinic. All the patients were treated with alendronate (5 mg daily or 35 mg weekly) for 24 months. The effects of alendronate on lumbar spine (women) or total hip (men) BMD and urinary NTX and serum ALP levels were examined. A total or partial gastrectomy had been performed for eight patients each. The mean duration after surgery was 16.0 years. With alendronate therapy, urinary NTX levels significantly decreased at 3 months (-27.0%). Serum ALP levels decreased (-12.1%) and lumbar spine BMD increased (+5.2%), but total hip BMD did not significantly change (+0.6%) at 24 months. No severe adverse events were observed, and alendronate therapy was well tolerated. These results suggest that alendronate mildly increases lumbar spine BMD by mildly reducing bone turnover in osteoporotic patients after a gastrectomy.

Experience with alendronate treatment for four years among Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures.

PURPOSE: A retrospective study based on a conventional medical practice was performed to evaluate the outcome of alendronate treatment for four years in Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures. METHODS: Twenty-nine Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures (mean age at baseline 61.0 years) who had been treated with alendronate for over four years in our outpatient clinic were studied. Lumbar spine or total hip bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and serum levels of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase were monitored during the four-year treatment period. RESULTS: Urinary NTX and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase levels decreased (-44.4% at three months and -61.2% at four years, respectively) and lumbar spine and total hip BMD increased (+13.9% and +9.2% at four years, respectively), compared with baseline values. No serious adverse events were observed, including osteonecrosis of the jaw, femoral diaphysis atypical fractures, or atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of the outcome of alendronate treatment for four years in Japanese men with an increased risk for fractures. Alendronate suppressed bone turnover and increased lumbar spine and total hip BMD from baseline over the course of the four-year treatment period without causing any severe adverse events in Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures.

Comparison of the effects of alendronate and alfacalcidol on hip bone mineral density and bone turnover in Japanese men having osteoporosis or osteopenia with clinical risk factors for fractures.

PURPOSE: The comparative effects of alendronate and alfacalcidol on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover have already been established in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. An open-labeled prospective study was conducted to compare the treatment effects of alendronate and alfacalcidol on hip BMD and bone turnover in Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia with clinical risk factors for fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twelve men with osteoporosis or osteopenia with clinical risk factors for fractures (mean age: 71.4 years) were randomly divided into two groups of 56 patients each: the alendronate (5 mg daily) and alfacalcidol (1 microg daily) groups. The BMD of the total hip, urinary level of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX), and serum levels of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) were measured during the 12-month-treatment period. RESULTS: Forty-five patients in the alendronate group and 42 patients in the alfacalcidol group completed the trial. Alendronate increased BMD (+2.3% at 12 months) following reductions in the urinary level of NTX (-46.4% at 3 months) and serum level of BSAP (-34.1% at 12 months), while alfacalcidol sustained BMD (-1.9% at 12 months) as well as the urinary level of NTX (+13.2% at 3 months) and serum level of BSAP (+1.8% at 12 months). CONCLUSION: The present study confirmed that alendronate has better efficacy than alfacalcidol (active control) in increasing hip BMD and reducing bone turnover in Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia with clinical risk factors for fractures.

Effects of short-term combined treatment with alendronate and elcatonin on bone mineral density and bone turnover in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

The antiresorptive drug elcatonin (ECT) is known to relieve pain in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. A prospective open-labeled trial was conducted to compare the effects of short-term combined treatment with alendronate (ALN) and ECT on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover with those of single treatment with ALN in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Two hundred and five postmenopausal osteoporotic women (mean age: 70 years) were recruited in our outpatient clinic. Forty-six women with back pain were treated with ALN and ECT (intramuscular, 20 units a week), and 159 women without obvious back pain were treated with ALN alone. The lumbar BMD, urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX), and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured during the six-month treatment period. The baseline characteristics, except for age, body weight and number of patients with prevalent vertebral fractures, were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean increase rate in the lumbar BMD at six months was similar in the ALN (+4.41%) and ALN+ECT (+5.15%) groups, following similar reduction rates in urinary NTX levels (-40.2% and -43.0%, respectively, at three months) and serum ALP levels (-19.0% and -19.7%, respectively, at six months). These results were consistent even after adjustments for age, body weight, and number of patients with prevalent vertebral fractures. The present study in postmenopausal osteoporotic women confirmed that the effects of short-term combined treatment with ALN and ECT on lumbar BMD and bone turnover in patients with back pain appeared to be comparable to those of single treatment with ALN in patients without obvious back pain.