The use of incretins and fractures - a meta-analysis on population-based real life data

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of incretins on fracture risk in the real-world situation by meta-analysis of the available population-based cohort data. Pubmed and Embase were searched for original articles investigating use of incretin agents, and fracture risk up to December 2015. Adjusted results were extracted and pooled by use of generic inverse variance methods, assuming a random-effects model. Neither current dipeptidyl peptidase 4-inhibitor use nor current glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use was associated with a decreased risk of fracture: pooled relative risk (pooled RR [95% confidence interval]: 1.02 [0.91-1.13] and 1.03 [0.87-1.22]), respectively. This meta-analysis demonstrated that current use of incretin agents, was not associated with decreased fracture risk. Our findings show the value of representative real-world populations, and the risks associated with suggesting benefits for medications on the basis of safety reporting in randomized controlled trials.