[Current research in therapy of postmenopausal osteoporosis (author's transl)]

The goals of osteoporosis treatment are not only to decrease bone resorption, but also and mainly to increase bone formation. Present research is based on bone histomorphometry and prospective double blind therapeutic studies. Physical exercise, adequate calcium intake oestrogen therapy in postmenopausal or oophorectomized women have been shown to be effective in prevention of the disease. A moderate beneficial effect of the association of synthetic anabolic steroids with oral calcium has been recognized. Better results are expected from combined treatments such as low doses of calcitonin and oral calcium, or vitamin D metabolites and sodium fluoride, and from stimulating bone formation by low doses of parat-hormone.