A new study indicates that raloxifene (sold under the brand name Evista) is safe and effective for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with CKD, or chronic kidney disease.

This information is particularly important because CKD may contribute to bone loss, yet women with the condition are sometimes excluded from research trials of osteoporosis medications. Interestingly, this data did not find an increased rate of adverse effects for the women taking raloxifene who also had CKD - but did find the effect of the drug was greater on hip bone mineral density among those with mild to moderate CKD.

If your osteoporosis treatment options have been limited by CKD, you may want to discuss this development with your doctor. The study is available via the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, with the abstract at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ASN.2007050555v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=raloxifene&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT. Read more about it at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120622.htm