Bisphosphonate Therapy for Osteoporosis

Bisphosphonate treatment of osteoporosis began with off-label use of etidronate in the 1980s. Alendronate (1995) and rise-dronate (1999). are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prevention and treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis and for patients with osteoporosis due to glucocoprticoid treatment. These compounds increase bone mineral density and reduce the risk of fractures of the vertebrae, hips, and other nonvertebral sites. The body of evidence for both safety and efficacy of bisphosphonate treatment of osteoporosis is stronger than for any other agent. Bisphosphonates are safe and well tolerated and represent the agents of choice for most patients with osteoporosis. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.