The diuretic and aldosterone inhibitor spironolactone (Aldactone), often prescribed to patients with chronic heart failure, may have the added benefit of preventing fractures, especially in men, according to a report in the July 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers identified 167 cases of single-incident fractures not caused by trauma and excluding fractures of the skull, facial bones and ribs. They compared them to 668 heart failure patients without fractures. The study subjects were all men, with an average age of 67. The men who took spironolactone for at least six months showed a 40 percent lower risk of fractures (adjusting for other risk factors such as age and weight) compared to those who were not taking the drug.
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