[Osteoporosis - Evidence based therapy]

Osteoporosis therapy has been controversially discussed in the past. In the meantime, several therapeutic options to prevent fractures are available for this disease. With respect to proven fracture benefit, however, the quality of evidence from randomised and controlled clinical trials varies substantially among therapies. From systematic research the best external evidence is available for a supplementation with calcium and vitamin D and a therapy with the bisphosphonates alendronate or risedronate, as well as the SERM raloxifene. For other therapeutic agents like fluorides, vitamin D metabolites, calcitonin and etidronate the quality of evidence is much lower. So far, there is no evidence for other pharmaceutical therapies. Hip protectors are effective in the prevention of hip fractures.