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Some Heart Failure Meds May Raise Fracture Risk in Women

TUESDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The short-term use of heart failure drugs called loop diuretics does not appear to increase the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women, a new study finds, but their effect over the long term is less clear.

Loop diuretics include widely used medicines such as Lasix, Bumex and Demadex, which are commonly prescribed to patients with congestive heart failure. Because these medications increase the loss of calcium, there has been a concern that they might reduce bone mineral density, increasing users' risk for fractures.

However, "much of the association that may have been blaming loop diuretics may have really been a result of the other health problems that women had," said study co-author Dr. Karen Johnson, vice chairwoman of the department of preventive medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, in Memphis.

Johnson believes that doctors should still pay attention to bone mineral density when starting women on loop diuretics. "You probably want to make sure people are following the recommendations to prevent osteoporosis, including taking calcium and vitamin D supplements," she said.