title: The underuse of therapy in the secondary prevention of hip fractures.
abstract: There is strong evidence to indicate that individuals who sustain a hip fracture are at a greater risk of developing another. The management of such patients should include efforts to prevent future fractures, including prescribing medications that have been shown to lower hip fracture risk. Such therapies that are currently available include calcium and vitamin D supplementation, alendronic acid and risedronic acid. In addition, there is epidemiological evidence to indicate that estrogen may also decrease the risk of hip fracture. Parathyroid hormone is another agent that has shown promise in this regard and is likely to be available for clinical use in the near future. However, the rates of utilisation of these therapies among patients with hip fractures are low. It is important to emphasise that secondary prevention of hip fractures should be an integral part of the management of individuals who sustain hip fractures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53295, USA. hosam.kamel@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Hosam K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.forename: Edmund H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Duthie
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002118:Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012968:Etidronic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068296:Risedronic Acid; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D000068296:Risedronic Acid; D012968:Etidronic Acid; D002118:Calcium; D019386:Alendronate