A Case Report of Alendronate Treatment over 20 Years on Osteoporosis and Literature Review

Abstract

Osteoporosis is commonly seen in aged people, but not much attention is paid to it. Patient compliance is challenged by many factors, including long-time treatment and high rates of fatality and disability caused by fragility fractures. With age-related changes, the treatment will last for a lifetime. A clinical case of postmenopausal patient who had received incontinuous treatment of alendronate for 20 years was studied in this article. As the level of compliance varied in different treatment phases, the curative outcome of this patient was altered. This study also presented a literature review to discuss the current situation, treatment and compliance of osteoporosis in China and the corresponding influences on bone mineral density (BMD) and prognosis. Hopefully, this study can increase physicians' awareness of osteoporosis in clinical treatment and its pharmacotherapy and treatment course.