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In the UK, over 250 000 patients take continuous oral glucocorticoids (GCs), yet no more than 14% receive any therapy to prevent bone loss, a major complication of GC treatment. Bone loss is rapid, particularly in the first year, and fracture risk may double. This review, based wherever possible on clinical evidence, aims to provide easy-to-use guidance with wide applicability. A treatment algorithm is presented for adults receiving GC doses of 7.5 mg day(-1) or more for 6 months or more. General measures, e.g. alternative GCs and routes of administration, and therapeutic interventions, e.g. cyclical etidronate and hormone replacement, are recommended.

Original publication

DOI

10.1046/j.1365-2796.1998.00408.x

Type

Journal article

Journal

J intern med

Publication Date

10/1998

Volume

244

Pages

271 - 292

Keywords

Bone Resorption, Calcitonin, Calcitriol, Clinical Trials as Topic, Diphosphonates, Economics, Pharmaceutical, Fluorides, Glucocorticoids, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Humans, Osteogenesis, Osteoporosis, United Kingdom, Vitamin D