An approach to postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment: a case study review.
OBJECTIVE
To review and discuss the clinical evaluation and therapeutic options for a postmenopausal woman with osteoporosis.


METHODS
Review of scientific literature, practice guidelines, and a case study.


CONCLUSIONS
To prevent and treat postmenopausal osteoporosis, women should be encouraged to perform weight-bearing exercise, to not smoke, and to optimize calcium and vitamin D intake through diet and supplements. Drug regimens are effective and well tolerated in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Drugs currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis include the bisphosphonates risedronate and alendronate; the selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene; and intranasal calcitonin-salmon spray. Bisphosphonates have demonstrated the most impressive fracture risk reduction in prospective clinical trials of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Risedronate has consistently demonstrated significant reductions in vertebral fracture risk at 1 year and in vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk at 3 years. Alendronate has demonstrated significant reductions in vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk after 3 years.
University of Tampa, Florida, USA. CKessenich@ut.edu
Cathy
C
Kessenich
D000368:Aged; D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015519:Bone Density; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D012968:Etidronic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068296:Risedronic Acid; D012307:Risk Factors; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004164:Diphosphonates; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D014807:Vitamin D; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D002116:Calcitonin; D000068296:Risedronic Acid; D012968:Etidronic Acid; D019386:Alendronate