title: Effect of rocaltrol on bone mass in patients with pulmonary disease treated with corticosteroids.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcitriol on bone mass in patients with corticosteroid induced osteoporosis. Thirty-seven patients (26 females, 11 males, mean age 66.4 years) with pulmonary disease under long-term treatment with corticosteroids (5-10 mg prednisolone daily) and osteopenia/osteoporosis verified by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurement were enrolled into the study. Rocaltrol was prescribed to 30/37 of the patients, the rest of the patients (6 females, 1 male) served as controls. In the treatment group, there was a slight increase of bone mass in the hip and lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4), whereas the control group showed a decrease of bone mass (change rate of bone mass in patients +0.8% and +1.0%, respectively, vs. -1.9% and -0.3%, respectively, in the control group). The preliminary results of our study suggest a beneficial role for the treatment of corticosteroid induced osteoporosis with Rocaltrol, which is well-tolerated by patients and cost-efficient in patient management.
authors.affiliation: Department and L. Boltzmann Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria. siroos.mirzaei@nuk.wil.magwien.gv.at
authors.forename: Siroos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirzaei
authors.forename: Hubert K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Zajicek
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köhn
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pohl
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011239:Prednisolone; D002117:Calcitriol