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Osteoporosis Meds Linked to Heart Problem

MONDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The popular bone-building medications known as bisphosphonates may have a rare, but serious, cardiac side effect.

A review of available research concludes that these medications may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation -- an erratic heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots that may cause heart attacks or strokes.

"In addition to possible gastrointestinal side effects, bisphosphonates can have possible cardiac side effects. For serious cases of atrial fibrillation, there was a significant increase in risk -- about 68 percent," said review lead author Dr. Jennifer Miranda, an internal medicine resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

But Miranda noted that the absolute risk of someone experiencing atrial fibrillation while on these medications was actually quite small, probably around 1 percent to 2 percent.

Miranda was expected to present the findings Monday at the American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting, in Philadelphia.

Bisphosphonates are a class of medications that increase bone mineral density. They are commonly prescribed to treat people with osteoporosis and also for people who have suffered hip fractures.