Bisphosphonates and atherosclerosis.

The relevance of association between osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease in clinical settings, and the evidence of a biological linkage between bone and vascular calcification, encourage the search of drugs that may act as dual-purpose therapies, concordantly enhancing bone density and reducing atherosclerosis. Bisphosphonates (BP) reduce bone resorption and fracture risk, and also seem to have the potential to reduce atherosclerotic process. This unexpected activity is the result of their interference with cholesterol synthesis, inflammatory progression, and oxidative stress. Although most animal studies show a clear anti-atherogenic activity of BP, data in humans are not consistent or conclusive, given the high affinity of BP for bone, which prevents them from accumulating in other tissues at the concentration required to exert a clear pharmacological effect.