title: [Pharmaco-economic evaluation of drug therapy osteoporosis. A literature review].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interventions against osteoporosis may reduce the incidence of fractures in patients and costs to society, but they also incur additional expenditure and thus call for economic evaluation. The aim of this paper was to evaluate existing literature by applying cost-effectiveness (CEA) and cost-utility analyses (CUA) to pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE and the reference lists of relevant papers were searched to identify original papers on the subject. Studies were included if they were peer reviewed, written in English or a Scandinavian language, and reported CEA or CUA for a specified pharmacological intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 37 identified studies, 16 met the inclusion criteria (ten CUA and six CEA), and 21 studies were excluded. Of the studies examined, 13 studies concerned hormone replacement therapy (HRT), four bisphosphonate, four calcitonin, and four calcium supplementation and/or vitamin D treatment. All were based on simulations of the long-term effects of the intervention with respect to cost and effect. However, the studies varied widely in patient selection and assumptions about duration and effectiveness of intervention, assessment of quality of life, and mortality following hip fracture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The published studies rely on limited empirical data as regards the effect of treatment, costs, and adverse effects. Several, however, indicate that some interventions may be cost-effective in high-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Odense Universitetshospital, endokrinologisk afdeling, Syddansk Universitet, Klinisk Farmakologi og Sundhedsøkonomi, DSI Institut for Sundhedsvaesen, København. kim.brixen@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Palle Mark
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brøsen
authors.forename: Kim T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Brixen
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beck-Nielsen
authors.forename: Jes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Søgaard
authors.forename: Ivar Sønbø
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000517:prevention & control; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D011372:Progestins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D011372:Progestins; D014807:Vitamin D; D002116:Calcitonin; D002118:Calcium