In postmenopausal females with lipid disorders and osteoporosis, treatment with zoledronic acid combined with atorvastatin or zoledronic acid alone considerably decreased the level of blood lipid (particularly total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]) when compared to atorvastatin alone, as elucidated from a cohort study published in The Postgraduate Medical Journal.

Wei Luo et al. undertook this study to assess zoledronic acid's protective effects in lipidemia in 668 postmenopausal females diagnosed with osteoporosis. Based on the lipid metabolism disorder, the participants were segregated into Group I and Group II. Group II was given 20 mg/day atorvastatin orally. Groups I and II were segregated into experimental group (zoledronic acid exposure) and control group (zoledronic acid nonexposure) on the basis of treatment with or without zoledronic acid.

The recruited subjects were regularly followed up for twelve months. From the hospital's medical record system, collection of all the data was done. In Group I, which was the zoledronic acid exposure group (n = 164), the level of LDL-C was considerably reduced when compared to before zoledronic acid therapy. Following twelve months of follow-up, a remarkable elevation in the levels of LDL-C, total cholesterol and triglycerides were reported in the zoledronic acid nonexposure group (n = 158).

At the baseline, no profound difference was noted in blood lipid indicators between zoledronic acid nonexposure and exposure groups. However, the levels of LDL-C and total cholesterol in the exposed group considerably dropped following twelve months of follow-up. Furthermore, there was 47 novel cases of lipid metabolism disorder in the zoledronic acid exposure group and 43 novel cases of lipid metabolism disorder in the nonexposure group after twelve months.

In group II, which was the zoledronic acid exposure group (n=155), the levels of LDL-C and total cholesterol were substantially reduced when compared to before zoledronic acid therapy. At the baseline, the zoledronic acid exposure and nonexposure groups (n = 191) exhibited no profound difference in blood lipid indicators. However, the levels of LDL-C and total cholesterol considerably dropped in the exposed group after twelve months. In postmenopausal females having osteoporosis, zoledronic acid may show a protective effect on lipid metabolism.