[Current osteoporosis treatment: reasons for adding vitamin D to alendronate]

Abstract

Recently, many studies showed need to administer vitamin D in treatment of osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency was proved in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Effects of vitamin D resulted in lower risk of fractures and falls, as well as improvement of neuromuscular performances. In more than ten years of practice and several short- and long-term clinical studies alendronate lowered the risk of vertebral and extravertebral fractures, improved BMD of all measured sites in postmenopausal women and men with osteoporosis. Positive results of alendronate were demonstrated in different entities like persons of various ages and grades of lower BMD or patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Combination of vitamin D with efficacious antiresorptive drug alendronate maintains all pharmacological features and proves clinical effects of lx weekly alendronate, partly eliminating need for vitamin D supplementation.