A large Hong Kong observational study found that older adults treated with nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Fox News reported.
According to Fox News, the study of 121,492 adults age 60 and older reported that use of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBP) was associated with a 16% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and related dementias compared with those who did not take osteoporosis medications, and a 24% lower risk compared with people taking other types of osteoporosis medications.
All participants had recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis or had suffered a serious fracture of the spine, humerus, wrist or hip, and none had previously taken medication for osteoporosis, the Fox News account said.
The report identified common NBPs as alendronate, ibandronate, risedronate and zoledronate, medications used to slow bone loss and reduce fracture risk.
Study author Ching-Lung Cheung, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, told Fox News Digital that “emerging evidence points to a bone-brain axis,” and noted prior research linking low bone mass or osteoporosis with higher dementia risk.
Fox News noted the study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia and was observational in design. The researchers cautioned that the findings do not prove bisphosphonate use reduces dementia risk and said confirmation in clinical trials is needed.
Researchers listed several limitations cited in the Fox News report: the study population was entirely Chinese, baseline cognitive testing was unavailable (raising the possibility some participants already had cognitive impairment), and the investigators lacked data on osteoporosis or fracture severity and on over-the-counter calcium and vitamin D use. They also acknowledged other external factors — including education, social isolation, air pollution and vision loss — could have affected dementia risk.
The authors called for further research in broader populations, including investigation of possible sex differences, and said the current evidence does not justify prescribing bisphosphonates specifically to prevent or treat dementia. The Fox News article was published Sept. 16, 2026.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
