[Clinical study on effect of gushukang granule in preventing and treating primary osteoporosis]

To investigate the effect and mechanism of Gushukang granule (GSKG), a Chinese herbal preparation, in preventing and treating primary osteoporosis.

The total of 197 patients of osteoporosis, whose bone mineral density (BMD) was below 1 standard deviation of the peak bone mass of same sex, with no complications and had not been treated were selected. Among them, 176 were menopausal females for over 1 year and 21 males aged over 70. The females were voluntarily divided into three groups, the 101 cases in the observed group were treated with GSKG 12 g, three times a day and calcium carbonate 300 mg, twice a day, orally taken for 6 months; the 23 cases in the positive control group were treated with equal volume of calcium preparation alone and the 52 cases in the blank control group were untreated. All the males were treated in the same way as that in the observed group of female. The BMD level of lumbar vertebrae 2-4 and other related to indexes of bone were determined before and 6 months after treatment.

BMD level in the two control groups lowered by 1.8% after 6 months. While in the observed group, BMD lowered slowly or even increased, after 6 months the average BMD increased by 3.1% in females and by 3.9% in males. The effective rate was 91.1% in females and 95.2% in males. After treatment, the levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphate decreased, estradiol, testosterone and high density lipoprotein increased in the female observed group, while the obove-mentioned indexes unchanged in the control groups.

GSKG has the effects in increasing sex hormones (both estrogen and androgen), inhibiting bone absorption, slowing down bone mass loss and elevating BMD, it could prevent and treat osteoporosis effectively. Besides, it could increase the level of high density lipoprotein so as to benefit prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.