The Impact of Placebo Compliance on Bone Health in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Curtis Jeffrey R, Delzell Elizabeth, Chen Lang, Black Dennis, Ensrud Kristine, Judd Suzanne, Safford Monika M, Schwartz Ann V, Bauer Douglas C
Primary Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hypothesis
High compliance with placebo is associated with lower rates of bone loss and fractures among women participating in the Fracture Intervention Trial.
Conclusion
High compliance with placebo was associated with reduced total-hip bone loss, and there was a trend toward a lower risk of hip fractures, although it did not reach statistical significance.
Supporting Evidence
- 82% of women had high compliance with placebo.
- Women with high placebo compliance had a lower annual bone loss at the total hip compared to those with lower compliance.
- The risk of hip fracture was 33% lower among women with high compliance with placebo.
Takeaway
If women take their placebo medicine regularly, they might have better bone health and fewer hip fractures, even though the medicine itself doesn't work.
Methodology
The study evaluated compliance with placebo using daily medication diaries and assessed changes in bone mineral density and fracture rates using statistical models.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding factors related to health behaviors and medication adherence were not fully accounted for.
Limitations
The study had modest numbers of outcome events and high compliance rates, which required dichotomizing compliance and resulted in wide confidence intervals.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 65 years and older, with a mean age of 68.2 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Confidence Interval
0.30–1.45
Statistical Significance
p = .04
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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