Bone loss prevention by an antimalarial drug

Abstract

In women, side effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) include osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (BMD). A preventative measure from an unexpected source has now been reported in the January issue of the Journal of Rheumatology. Dr Naomi Rothfield (University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA) and colleagues found that 57 (68%) of 92 women studied for low BMD who had used the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine appeared to have some degree of protection against bone loss at the hip and spine. The use of hydroxychloroquine was also associated with lower rates of osteoporosis and osteopenia of the spine.