Heparin osteoporosis with

Osteoporosis with subsequent rib and vertebral fractures has been reported with long-term use. The mechanism for these abnormalities is not completely understood. Heparin does not cross the placenta and generally is thought to be safe to use in pregnancy. 

Hemorrhage is the main complication that can arise from heparin therapy. Other side effects include Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (HITS), local irritation, hypersensitivity reactions and with long-term use, alopecia, hypoaldoster-onism, and osteoporosis. 

Primary osteoporosis is the most common form of the condition. The secondary form of osteoporosis is diagnosed when an illness and/or medications are present with a negative impact on BMD. Examples of common chronic conditions in old people that can cause secondary osteoporosis are seen in Box 5.14. Examples of drugs that can cause secondary osteoporosis are glucocorticoids, too high doses of thyroid hormone, anticonvulsants, and heparin. Especially the use of glucocorticoids has been known to cause severe osteoporosis even within a short period of treatment. Depending on the doses the development of osteoporosis can occur within a few weeks or months. 

Qassification Idiopathic osteoporosis type 1, occurring in postmenopausal females type 11, occurring in senescent males and females (>70 y). Secondary osteoporosis associated with primary disorders such as Cushing s disease, or induced by drugs, e.g chronic therapy with glucocorticoids or heparin. In these forms, the cause can be eliminated. 

For the past few decades, heparin has been widely used for the prevention of postoperative thiomboemboUsm (6,7). However, there are several adverse side-effects associated with the use of heparin such as bleeding, heparin induced thrombocytopenia, heparin induced thrombosis (8,9) and osteoporosis (10). In addition, the regimen of pioph actic heparin used in the prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is tedious, requiring 2 to 3 daily injections because of the limited bioavailability and short half-life of heparin when administered subcutaneously. 

Osteoporosis may occur, it is dose-related and may be expected with 15 000-30 000 units/day for about 6 months. It is most frequently seen in pregnancy. The relative risk with LMW heparin is not yet established. 

Osteoporosis is of two forms- primary i.e. idiopathic and secondary. Primary osteoporosis is classified into type I and type II osteoporosis. Type I is referred to post menopausal osteoporosis which is the main type affecting women, characterized by rapid bone loss and affects women after the menopause, mainly in trabecular bone and is associated with vertebrae and distal radio fractures whereas type II also termed as senile osteoporosis occurs due to chronic deficiency of calcium, increase in parathormone activity and decrease in bone formation and is associated with aging. On the other hand secondary type results from inflammatory processes, endocrine changes, multiple myeloma, sedentariness and the use of drugs such as heparin, corticoid and alcohol [3]. Prevention is the main treatment of osteoporosis, for which bone mass peak and the prevention of postmenopausal reabsorption are critical elements. The common treatment of osteoporosis includes calcium consumption as calcium salts, vitamin D supplements, and hormone reposition [4], the use of calcitonin to modulate serum levels of calcium and phosphorous [5], the use of bisphosphonate, mainly alendronates [6], use of ipriflavone and sodium fluoride [7], besides physical activity to strengthen muscles, stimulate osteoblasts formation and prevent reabsorption. 

The risk of osteoporosis appears to be substantially lower with the LMWHs compared with UFH. The LMWHs have not caused appreciable changes in bone mineral density after several months of use. They have been used in a limited number of patients with established heparin-induced osteoporosis. Although these reports are promising, it cannot be concluded that the LMWHs have no effect on bone formation until well-designed clinical trials are available. 

Musculoskeletal Long-term heparin can cause osteoporosis, as illustrated by the case of a 19-year-old woman with protein C deficiency, who had a fracture of the right wing of the sacrum after receiving low-molecular-weight heparin daily dming her pregnancy [117 ]. 

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