[Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis]

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develop both generalized and periarticular osteoporosis. Osteoporosis in RA causes by increase of bone resorption, however the decrease of bone formation has been concerned in development of osteoporosis. Drug therapy have to bigin as early as osteopenia, and a potent inhibitor of bone resorption will be effective to suppress the increse of bone resorption in RA patients. RA-associated osteoporosis including grucocorticoid induced osteoporosis decreases bone formation, vitamin D and parathyroid hormon would become the useful drug for promoting the bone formation by examination of new agents, method and dosage of treatment for osteoporosis in RA patients.