Efficacy of alendronate in adults with cystic fibrosis with low bone density.

As adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) have enjoyed incremental increases in longevity over the last few decades, they have also been suffering from low bone density and its clinical manifestations, fractures and kyphosis. We conducted a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded trial of alendronate (10 mg/day orally) (n = 24) compared with placebo (n = 24) for 1 year in 48 patients to improve bone mineral density at the spine as the primary endpoint. All patients received 800 IU of cholecalciferol and 1,000 mg of calcium carbonate.