Nitroglycerin Still Experimental for Osteoporosis

Q. Earlier this year I saw one of your articles about the use of nitroglycerin patches for osteoporosis. Are there any further studies on this?
I have severe osteoporosis and have used most of the available treatments without success. I’ll see my endocrinologist next month and would like to discuss nitroglycerin with him.
A. Nitroglycerin has been used to alleviate the chest pain of angina since 1879. The drug, administered as sublingual tablets or topical patches or ointment, helps blood vessels relax and dilate. Side effects include headache, dizziness, low blood pressure and changes in heart rate.
Nitric oxide activates the cells that remodel bone, and nitroglycerin is a source of nitric oxide. Animal studies have shown that nitroglycerin shows promise against osteoporosis, but few clinical studies have been done and they gave contradictory results (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Dec., 2011). Ask your doctor’s opinion of this potential therapy, but don’t be surprised if he says there’s not enough evidence yet to prescribe it.
We discuss the more common drugs that have been approved for osteoporosis prevention and treatment in our Guide to Osteoporosis.