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The use of the drug alendronate is recommended by NICE as the first-line treatment in osteoporosis.

For the study, the use of alendronate in 719 women with an average age of 75 and with confirmed AF, and 966 women of a similar age without AF was examined.

Overall, 5 per cent of participants had osteoporosis. When alendronate use was examined, 6.5 per cent of those with AF had taken the drug, compared with 4.1 per cent without a history of AF.

After adjusting for other risk factors, the researchers found that alendronate users were 1.86 times more likely to develop AF than women who had never used the drug.

However, lead researcher Dr Susan Heckbert, from the University of Washington warned: 'For most patients on alendronate the benefit of fracture prevention will outweigh the risk of AF.'

- Arch Intern Med 2008; 168: 826-31.

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