What were the effects of prophylactic doses of LMWH on bone density?
Three small prospective clinical studies have reported on the effects of prophylactic doses of LMWH on bone density. The first was a cohort study in which 16 women receiving enoxaparin (40 mg daily) during pregnancy had serial bone density measurements of the proximal femur. Baseline measurements were taken within 2 weeks of starting therapy and then at 6 to 8 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Patients received enoxaparin for a mean duration of 25 weeks (range, 19-32 weeks). Compared with baseline values, there was no significant change in mean bone density at 6 weeks postpartum and no patient experienced a 10% decrease in bone mass. At 6 months postpartum, there was a significant reduction in mean bone density (P = 0.02) and two of the 14 patients evaluated (14%) had a 10% decrease in bone mass.