Heart drug may shield bones after menopause
NCT ID NCT04905277
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether atenolol, a widely used beta blocker for heart conditions, can prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women. 420 healthy women aged 50-75 took either atenolol or a placebo daily for a period. The main goal was to see if the drug slowed bone density loss in the hip and lower back.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- atenolol
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to prevent bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women using a common, inexpensive drug.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 2 trial, so results are still early. The drug may not show a meaningful benefit for bone density, and beta blockers have side effects like fatigue and low blood pressure.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
420 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2021
- Finished
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Feb 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 to 75 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Able and willing to provide informed consent * Postmenopausal women (FSH ≥ 16 IU/L) (no menses for at least one year) * Aged 50-75 years Exclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus requiring insulin * Clinically significant abnormality in any of the additional screening laboratory studies * A1c- ≥8 * Calcium - \> upper limit lab value per site * AST- 2x upper normal limit * FSH- \< 16IU/L * eGFR- \< 45 mL/min/1.73m2 based on creatinine * CBC- Per PI interpretation of each patient * Presence of (documented clinical diagnosis of any of the following): * Significant liver or renal disease * Malignancy (current diagnosis including myeloma or melanoma) * Radiation (the site PI will determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis) * Malabsorption (current clinical diagnosis or actively receiving treatment) * Hypoparathyroidism (current clinical diagnosis or actively receiving treatment) * Hyperparathyroidism (current clinical diagnosis or actively receiving treatment) * Acromegaly * Cushing syndrome * Hypopituitarism * Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * Pheochromocytoma (current clinical diagnosis or actively receiving treatment) * History of cardiac failure * Ejection Fraction \<35% (based on most recent EF within the last 12 months, if available) * PR interval \> 200 msec on screening ECG or known heart block * History of bronchospastic disease with treatment (asthma, bronchitis) * Gastric Bypass * Parkinson's * Rheumatoid Arthritis * Psoriatic Arthritis * Connective Tissue disease * Undergoing treatment with any medications that affect bone turnover, including the following: * adrenocorticosteroids (oral for \> 3 months within the past year or year-round use of inhaled corticosteroid use) * anticonvulsant therapy for seizures (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or phenytoin within the previous year) pharmacological doses of: thyroid hormone (causing decline of thyroid stimulating hormone below normal, i.e. \< 0.3 miU/L) bisphosphonates (within the past 3 yrs; if taken orally \>1 month in past 3 years) denosumab, romosozumab, estrogen therapy (does not include creams or suppositories) or treatment with a selective estrogen receptor modulator, or teriparatide/abaloparatide (\> 1 month within the past year); aromatase inhibitors (\>1 month within the past year) * Current use of digitalis glycosides * Thiazides (\< 6 months of use prior to screening) * Current or within the past 3 months use of beta blockers * Any recent fracture within the past 6 months prior to screening (other than fingers, toes and facial fractures, which are all acceptable) * Bilateral hip replacements or metal in both hips * Patients with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of \< 20 ng/ml, in order to ensure vitamin D sufficiency * Resting systolic blood pressure \< 115 mm Hg, heart rate \< 55 bpm (average of 3 readings after a 5-minute rest and one minute between readings with an automatic cuff)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Columbia University Irving Medical Center
New York, New York, 10032, United States
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MaineHealth
Scarborough, Maine, 04074, United States
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Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
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