Daily treatment with alendronate progressively increases the bone mass in the spine, hip, and total body and reduces the incidence of vertebral fractures, the progression of vertebral deformities, and height loss in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

SummaryOsteoporosis causes an elevated fracture risk. We propose the continued use of T-scores as one means for diagnosis but recommend that, alternatively, hip fracture; osteopenia-associated vertebral, proximal humerus, pelvis, or some wrist fractures; or FRAX scores with ≥3 % (hip) or 20 % (major) 10-year fracture risk also confer an osteoporosis diagnosis.IntroductionOsteoporosis is a common disorder of reduced bone strength that predisposes to an increased risk for fractures in older individuals. In the USA, the standard criterion for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older men is a T-score of ≤ −2.5 at the lumbar spine, femur neck, or total hip by bone mineral density testing.MethodsUnder the direction of the National Bone Health Alliance, 17 clinicians and clinical scientists were appointed to a working group charged to determine the appropriate expansion of the criteria by which osteoporosis can be diagnosed.ResultsThe group recommends that postmenopausal women and men aged 50 years should be diagnosed with osteoporosis if they have a demonstrable elevated risk for future fractures. This includes having a T-score of less than or equal to −2.5 at the spine or hip as one method for diagnosis but also permits a diagnosis for individuals in this population who have experienced a hip fracture with or without bone mineral density (BMD) testing and for those who have osteopenia by BMD who sustain a vertebral, proximal humeral, pelvic, or, in some cases, distal forearm fracture. Finally, the term osteoporosis should be used to diagnose individuals with an elevated fracture risk based on the World Health Organization Fracture Risk Algorithm, FRAX.ConclusionsAs new ICD-10 codes become available, it is our hope that this new understanding of what osteoporosis represents will allow for an appropriate diagnosis when older individuals are recognized as being at an elevated risk for fracture.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are the most commonly used medications for osteoporosis, but optimal duration of therapy is unknown. This ASBMR report provides guidance on BP therapy duration with a risk benefit perspective. Two trials provided evidence for long-term BP use. In the Fracture Intervention Trial Long-term Extension (FLEX), postmenopausal women receiving alendronate for 10 years had fewer clinical vertebral fractures than those switched to placebo after 5 years. In the HORIZON extension, women who received 6 annual infusions of zoledronic acid had fewer morphometric vertebral fractures compared with those switched to placebo after 3 years. Low hip T-score between −2 and −2.5 in FLEX and below −2.5 in HORIZON extension predicted a beneficial response to continued therapy. Hence, the Task Force suggests that after 5 years of oral BP or 3 years of intravenous BP, women should be reassessed. Women with previous major osteoporotic fracture, those who fracture on therapy, or others at high risk should generally continue therapy for up to 10 years (oral) or 6 years (intravenous), with periodic risk-benefit evaluation. Older women, those with a low hip T-score or high fracture risk score are considered high risk. The risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femoral fracture increases with BP therapy duration, but such rare events are far outweighed by fracture risk reduction with BPs in high risk patients. For women not at high fracture risk after 3–5 years of BP treatment, a drug holiday of 2–3 years can be considered, with periodic reassessment. The algorithm provided for long term BP use is based on limited evidence in mostly Caucasian postmenopausal women and only for vertebral fracture reduction. It is probably applicable to men and patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, with some adaptations. It is unlikely that future osteoporosis trials will provide data for formulating definitive recommendations.

This analysis generally endorsed existing clinical practice recommendations, but specific treatment decisions must be individualized. An estimate of the patient's 10-year fracture risk should facilitate shared decision-making.

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