The major aim of therapy is the prevention of fractures. The properties of all ideal therapeutic agents include the following: the medication is well tolerated and safe with minimal side effects; it has oral and intravenous bioavailability; it has been proven to increase bone mass, improve bone quality and reduce fractures at all sites including the hip. It should be pointed out at the outset that there are considerable variations in both quality and credibility in results from randomized trials dealing with the efficacy of different treatment schedules. When results of these clinical trials are assessed and compared, questions and problems arise with respect to the following criteria:
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Duration of the study
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Number and age of the patients
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Definition of exclusion criteria
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Primary aim of the study
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Fracture incidence versus fracture rate
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Fractures prior to start of study
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Definition of “fracture”
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Definition of “control group”
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Status of vitamin D and calcium
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Risk profiles of the participants
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Method and accuracy of bone density measurements
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Differences in statistics used for analysis
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Chapter 11 Treatment Strategies in Osteoporosis
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Bartl, R., Frisch, B. (2009). Treatment Strategies in Osteoporosis. In: Osteoporosis. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79527-8_11
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