Effect of Vitamin K and Alendronate Combination Treatment on Bone Mineral Density of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Patients: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a common problem in postmenopausal women. Numerous studies investigated the effects of vitamin K on bone health, which yielded conflicting results. In this study, we aimed to compare the effect of vitamin K and alendronate combination with alendronate alone on Bone Mineral Density (BMD) of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, during 14 months (January 1, 2014-February 29, 2015). Our patients (n=28) were randomly divided into two groups of receiving calcium, vitamin D, and alendronate (n=13) and receiving the same combination + vitamin K1 supplement (10 mg daily) (n=15). BMD was measured pre- and post-intervention by the same bone scanner. Results: The baseline characteristics of the two groups did not differ significantly. The mean variation in femoral neck BMD of the alendronate and alendronate + vitamin K groups were -4.20±11.91% and 0.39±11.80%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean change in femoral neck BMD (P=0.32). The mean variations in lumbar spine BMD of the alendronate and alendronate + vitamin K groups were 0.71±0.06% and 0.76±0.11%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean change in lumbar spine BMD (P=0.24). Conclusion: It was found that combined treatment with vitamin K and alendronate was not more effective than alendronate alone in increasing BMD of postmenopausal osteoporosis patients.