6 NEWS
6 NEWS
20 MARCH 2026 ausdoc. com. au
CHANGE THE WAY YOU TREAT OSTEOPOROSIS
DON’ T MISS THEIR BEST CHANCE TO BUILD BONE 1, 2
Scan the QR code to access the EVENITY ® GP Guide for a quick, easy reference on eligibility, referral pathways and treatment considerations for your osteoporosis patients.
Statins getting a bad‘ wrap’
Antony Scholefield WARNINGS on statins about the risks of renal failure, pancreatitis and depression are probably unnecessary and based on poor research, according to a study in The Lancet.
Of the dozens of potential side effects analysed, it only found randomised controlled trial data to back up abnormal liver function, urinary composition alteration and oedema as part of a review and meta-analysis.
A UK-led research team of 34 authors analysed individual data on more than 123,500 participants from 19 double-blind trials of statins versus placebo. Of the participants studied, 72 % were men and the mean age was 63.
Stains were associated with a 41 % higher risk of abnormal liver transaminases, a 26 % higher risk of other LFT abnormalities, a 7 % higher risk of oedema and an 18 % higher risk of urinary composition alteration.
No other effect reached statistical significance, although weight gain and nausea came close.
“ Statin therapy has been used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide over the past 30 years, and the data show that statin use has contributed substantively to age-specific reductions in global cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity,” the researchers wrote.
“ However, concerns about the safety of statins have been raised, with claims of excesses in a wide range of conditions in multiple organ systems.
“ Drug labels for statins include an extensive range of terms listed as potential undesirable effects, but there is a scarcity of compelling evidence to support the inclusion of most of them.”
The same study team had previously found that long-term, high-strength statins were associated with a small increase in muscle pain, based on the same methods. But most studies reported that muscle pain was not linked to statin use.
In their latest paper, they said a misleading statistic about 20 % of patients on statins having side effects, which emerged around 2012, had led to patients quitting statins.
That figure entered the public consciousness via a BMJ article that misinterpreted and misrepresented the finding of an Annals of Internal Medicine paper. In Australia, a 2013 ABC Catalyst program on statins and their risks, which suggested they were ineffective for many patients, was linked to a 60,000-person drop in patients using statins.
The Lancet authors said the clinical implications of the raised risk of oedema and urinary composition alteration were unclear.
“ Further work is underway to assess biochemical liver function parameters in more detail,” they added.
“ Clarifying the clinical implications of any changes in LFTs while taking statin therapy would be of value for more informative guidelines regarding monitoring liver transaminases after commencing therapy.”
Most of the study authors declared some payments from pharmaceutical companies. Lancet 2026; 5 Feb.
PBS INFORMATION: Authority Required as treatment for severe established osteoporosis. Criteria Apply. Refer to PBS Schedule for full Authority.
Refer to full Product Information before prescribing; available from Amgen Australia Pty Ltd, Ph: 1800 803 638 or at www. amgen. com. au / Evenity. PI
The most-common AEs occurring in ≥10 % of patients( n = 3858) treated with EVENITY in placebo-controlled clinical trials were nasopharyngitis, arthralgia and back pain. 2
For more information on EVENITY or to report an adverse event or product complaint involving EVENITY, please contact Amgen Medical Information on 1800 803 638 or visit www. amgenmedinfo. com. au.
This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring in Australia. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse events at www. tga. gov. au / reporting-problems.
EVENITY MINIMUM PRODUCT INFORMATION. INDICATIONS: Treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at high risk of fracture. Treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk of fracture. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Uncorrected hypocalcaemia. Hypersensitivity to romosozumab, CHOderived proteins or any component. History of myocardial infarction( MI) or stroke. PRECAUTIONS: Assess cardiovascular risk factors( e. g. established cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, severe renal impairment, age) prior to treatment. A patient’ s suitability for treatment should be based on individual benefit-risk assessment. Consider relative benefits and risks of treatment in patients at high cardiovascular risk. Instruct patients to watch for symptoms of MI and stroke and to seek prompt medical attention if symptoms occur. Discontinue use if MI or stroke occurs during therapy. Correct hypocalcaemia prior to initiating therapy. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms. Adequately supplement intake of calcium and vitamin D. Initiate appropriate therapy and discontinue use if anaphylactic or other clinically significant allergic reaction occurs. Evaluate patients for risk factors for osteonecrosis of the jaw( ONJ); use with caution in these patients. Consider discontinuation if ONJ occurs. Rare reports of atypical femoral fractures. ADVERSE EFFECTS: Very Common: viral upper respiratory tract infection and arthralgia. Common: hypersensitivity, rash, dermatitis, headache, cough, neck pain, muscle spasms, peripheral edema and injection site reactions. DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: Subcutaneous injection of 210 mg, once every month for 12 doses. To administer 210 mg, give two subcutaneous injections. Ensure adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D. After completing therapy, transition to antiresorptive osteoporosis therapy. No dose adjustment required in the elderly or in renal impairment. PRESENTATION: Pre-filled syringe, supplied as a 2-pack. Minimum PI Version 3. Refer to full Product Information before prescribing – available from Amgen Australia Pty Ltd. Ph: 1800 803 638 or at www. amgen. com. au / Evenity. PI
Abbreviations: AE, adverse event; GP, general practitioner; PBS, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
References: 1. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners( RACGP), Healthy Bones Australia. Osteoporosis management and fracture prevention in postmenopausal women and men over 50 years of age, 3rd edition. RACGP, 2024. 2. EVENITY ®( romosozumab) Approved Product Information.
EVENITY is a registered trademark of Amgen Australia Pty Ltd. ABN 31 051 057 428, Sydney NSW 2000. © 2026 Amgen Inc. All rights reserved. AUS-785-26-80008. AMGEVE3646. Approved February 2026.
Vegan infants catch up
Bella Rough INFANTS raised in vegan households are more likely to be underweight in their first 60 days, but the difference mostly disappears by age two, research suggests.
The retrospective study, led by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, included almost 1.2 million singleton infants born between 2014 and 2023.
In their first 60 days, infants from vegan households were 37 % more likely to be underweight than those from omnivorous households, the researchers wrote in JAMA Network Open.
Infants in vegetarian households were also 21 % more likely to be underweight than infants from omnivorous households.
However, by the age of two, infants in vegan households were only 6 % more likely to be underweight, while infants from vegetarian households were 20 % less likely to be underweight than those from omnivorous households.
Differences in growth outcomes— such as length, weight and head circumference— were clinically insignificant at age two, the researchers said.
The risk of stunting by age two remained slightly higher in children from vegan households( 3.9 %) compared with omnivorous( 3.1 %) and vegetarian( 3.4 %) households. The researchers said adjusting for birthweight attenuated many differences, suggesting that smaller size at birth, rather than postnatal growth rate, explained some of the weight trajectory of the infants in vegan households.
Breastfeeding duration was also longer in the vegan and vegetarian groups than in the omnivorous group. The authors concluded that“ a vegan family dietary pattern may support healthy growth in infancy when appropriately planned”.
JAMA Netw Open 2026; 5 Feb.