Do you Know the Drugs that Cause Bone Loss? – Interactive Quiz

January 15, 2020 6 Comments

Drugs Causing Bone Loss

In December 2019, the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology was published.  It contains a chapter on Drugs Causing Bone Loss that I thought provided a great practical summary for clinicians. I thought I would give you a quick quiz to see how well you know the drug causes.

Test your Current Knowledge on Drugs Associated with Bone Loss and Fractures (23 questions)

1. Replacement for thyroid hormone deficiency is not associated with a decrease in bone mineral density if thyroid hormones are kept within normal range

2. Opioids increase the risk of fractures and may also decrease BMD through hypogonadism

3. Both pioglitazone and rosiglitazone increase the risk of fractures

4. SSRI's and tricyclic antidepressants are associated with a reduction in BMD and an increased risk of fractures

5. Warfarin is not associated with an increase in fracture risk

6. Statins have been shown to increase BMD

7. Chronic acetaminophen use has not been associated with any change in BMD

8. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate not only increases fractures but also lowers BMD and has a higher BMD loss than controls

9. Thiazide diuretics have been associated with an increase in calcium excretion and a decrease in BMD

10. Aromatase inhibitors are associated with a loss of BMD, decrease in bone quality but not an increase in the risk of fractures

11. Only prednisone doses above 15 mg/day are associated with BMD changes after 1 year

12. Inhaled beta-agonists increase BMD and lower fracture risk

13. Sedatives are not associated with BMD status but are associated with a higher fracture risk

14. Many of the anti-epilepsy medications are associated with a reduction in BMD

15. Inhaled corticosteroids are usually associated with minimal or no bone loss except at high doses.  No excess in fracture risk is seen with inhaled corticosteroids except for a marginal increase at very high doses

16. Histamine H2 blockers are associated with an increased risk of fractures.

17. GLP-1 receptor agonists and insulin secretagogues do not alter BMD or fracture risk

18. Proton pump inhibitors may affect absorption of calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12 all of which may be important to bone health.

19. Heparin and low molecular weight heparins are associated with a decrease in BMD and an increase in fracture risk

20. Leurprolide acetate is associated with an increased risk of fractures when used in prostate cancer

21. High potency topical corticosteroids do not increase fracture risk.

22. Low dose methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis patients does not increase the risk of fractures

23. Oral contraceptive use is not associated with an increased risk of fractures


 

 

 

6 thoughts on “Do you Know the Drugs that Cause Bone Loss? – Interactive Quiz”

  1. Thanks for the quiz. I’ll be needing to brush up on this topic. Good spring board for continuing education ideas.

  3. Great topic in which all pharmacists should be knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing this quiz. I’m sure it can inspire a great CE idea.

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