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Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis: Management Update

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Abstract

Osteoporosis due to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) for inflammatory disorders continues to be a common problem. Well-distributed guidelines have provided evidence-based recommendations for management, yet many patients have little attention paid to their increased fracture risk. The purpose of this article is to discuss how new treatments for GIOP may improve overall management. Intravenous zoledronic acid (ZA), an antiresorptive agent, and teriparatide (TPT), which stimulates osteoblasts, have received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating GIOP. ZA is appealing because one 15-min infusion covers the patient for a year and potentially will increase the proportion of GIOP patients who are treated. TPT makes physiologic sense because GIOP is mostly due to decreased osteoblast function, and TPT stimulates osteoblasts. Although there is only one small published study in humans with GIOP, denosumab is a potentially useful antiresorptive agent, if it is approved by the FDA. The efficacy and safety of these medications in GIOP are discussed.

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Disclosure

Dr. Robert A. Adler has been a consultant for Eli Lilly and Co., and has received research support from Proctor & Gamble, Eli Lilly and Co., Novartis, and Amgen.

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  1. Endocrinology and Metabolism (111P), McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard, Richmond, VA, 23249, USA

    Robert A. Adler

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  1. Robert A. Adler
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Correspondence to Robert A. Adler.

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Adler, R.A. Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis: Management Update. Curr Osteoporos Rep 8, 10–14 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-010-0003-6

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