[Drug selection guide for osteoporosis determined by the clinical staging, pathophysiology and age]

The various therapeutic agents for osteoporosis became currently available and it is significant to select drugs according to disease stage, pathophysiology and age. As markers for bone resorption and bone mineral density can predict the subsequent risk of hip fracture in elderly women, bone resorption inhibitors such as bisphosphonate or raloxifene are appropriate for subjects with high levels of the marker or low bone mineral density. Moreover, bisphosphonate and raloxifene are also recommended for subjects with prevalent fractures, even though disease staging in osteoporosis is complicated. However, these data should be carefully referred in clinical application, since they were obtained in combination with vitamin D and calcium preparation.