Cumulative network meta-analyses, practice guidelines, and actual prescriptions for postmenopausal osteoporosis: a meta-epidemiological study

Summary: We compared the cumulative network meta-analyses with the recommendations in postmenopausal osteoporosis practice guidelines and actual prescribing practices in the USA. There was no apparent discrepancy between guideline recommendations and drug prescribing rankings, with the exception of vitamin D and calcium, when we used cumulative NMAs as references. Purpose: To compare the results of cumulative network meta-analyses (NMAs) with the recommendations in postmenopausal osteoporosis practice guidelines and actual prescribing practices in the USA. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in July 2017. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s National Guideline Clearinghouse and associated society websites were searched to retrieve guidelines in June 2018. We used the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to analyze prescription data from 1996 to 2015. Two independent investigators selected eligible RCTs. One investigator selected potential eligible guidelines, which were confirmed by another investigator. Two independent investigators extracted data from included RCTs. One investigator extracted recommendations from guidelines, which were confirmed by another investigator. (Registration: UMIN000031894) Results: We analyzed data from 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. We chose hip fracture as the primary outcome of cumulative NMAs. We included 51 trials, 17 guidelines, and 5099 postmenopausal osteoporosis patients from the MEPS. Bisphosphonate, including alendronate, and combination of vitamin D and calcium (vDCa) were consistently recommendable from an efficacy viewpoint in NMAs and recommended in guidelines. Alendronate was the most prescribed drug (more than 30% over the observation period); however, vDCa was seldom prescribed. The maximum proportion was 5.3% from 2011 to 2015. Conclusions: In postmenopausal osteoporosis, there was no apparent discrepancy between guideline recommendations and drug prescribing rankings, with the exception of vDCa, when we used cumulative NMAs as references.