Use of Bisphosphonates, Calcium and Vitamin D for Bone Demineralization in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND: The present study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials using bisphosphonates for bone demineralization in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed from January 2004 to January 2020 considering the bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (LS) as the main outcome. Out of 214 titles that met criteria, 9 studies fulfilled the selection criteria. RESULTS: A total of 394 patients were identified, and they were allocated into 2 groups: the intervention group (200 patients), to whom a combination of alendronate or zoledronate with calcium and vitamin D was administered; and control group (194 patients), to whom only calcium and vitamin D was administered. Clinical profile and indicators of bone metabolism of the participants were evaluated regarding effect size, homogeneity, and consistency. No substantial heterogeneity between the groups was found for the baseline variables, and there was high consistency to the main outcome. The meta-analysis shows a significant difference in post-treatment BMD, favoring the intervention over the control treatment. The intervention improved LS density up to 0.227 g/cm², raising the average to the levels of general population. Adverse effects related to intervention were fever immediately after zoledronate administration and gastrointestinal complaints during alendronate usage. Other adverse effects were barely reported and poorly connected to intervention by studies’ authors, despite all of them have been successfully resolved. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that BMD post-treatment is better in HIV patients who used bisphosphonates combined with calcium and vitamin D.