Articles related to OSTEOPOROSIS

Beyond the strong recommendation for bisphosponates as initial medical therapy in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, the updated guidelines also suggest (not recommend) denosumab as second line therapy in women, bisphosphonates for osteoporosis in men, and romosozumab in women with very high risk of fractures. For the complete updated guideline, see Pharmacologic Treatment of Primary Osteoporosis or Low Bone Mass to Prevent Fractures in Adults: A Living Clinical Guideline From the American College of Physicians.

After 5 years of denosumab therapy, this patient has had no fractures and bone density scores have improved. You plan to discontinue denosumab. What else should be done?

The VITAL trial enrolled more than 25,000 men and women over age 50. Supplemental vitamin D showed no significant benefit vs. placebo in preventing the common fractures of osteoporosis.

‘Bikini medicine’ (see the Boston Globe article) is an outdated, sexist idea that men and women should be cared for similarly — dubbed as such due to the mistaken belief that women’s health only differs in the parts of women that bikinis cover. A ridiculous notion, considering that cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases affect women differently than men. Last time we checked, the bikini doesn’t cover any of them.

A new study has found that people with osteoporosis may experience less protection and be subject to more bone fractures when treated with the drug risedronate. Patients who were treated with risedronate during a drug holiday experienced more hip and other fractures than patients given other medications. Drug holidays are recommended after three to five years on therapy for most people taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. Risedronate, with its shorter half-life compared with alendronate, is associated with a somewhat higher risk of hip fracture during a drug holiday.