[Therapeutic concepts in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis]

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is not a well-defined disease, but summarizes women with different severity of changes in bone metabolism and different clinical complaints. The only common feature in women with 'postmenopausal osteoporosis' is the deficiency of estrogen. Postmenopausal women can be subdivided into four groups, according to their risk for fractures: 1. women without evident increase of fracture risk (bone mineral content between 0 and 2 SD of age-related normal range, no known risk factors from history); 2. women with possible increase of fracture risk (bone mineral content between 0 and -2 SD of age-related normal range, with or without known risk factors from history); 3. women with clear increase of fracture risk (bone mineral content below age-related normal range, with or without known risk factors from history); 4. women with already occurred fracture (manifest osteoporosis). Therapeutic intervention in postmenopausal women should be adapted to the risk for fracture. In all four groups a secondary prevention or basic therapy should be performed, focusing on calcium intake, vitamin D supply and sufficient physical activity. Calcium intake should be 1500 mg/day in women without estrogen substitution and 1000 mg in women with estrogen substitution. In patients living mainly inside or with malnutrition, a daily substitution of 500 E. Vitamin D3 is recommended. In group 2, regular control of bone mass is recommended to start additional estrogen replacement therapy, if accelerated loss of bone mass occurs. In group 3, estrogen replacement therapy is recommended urgently and is the therapy of first choice to prevent development of fractures. In group 4 (manifest osteoporosis), therapy should aim on improvement of the patient's symptoms and on increase of bone stability to avoid further fractures. The symptomatic therapy includes pain medications and an intensive physical therapy adapted to the patient's needs. Physical therapy should be performed for long time to reduce complaints and to improve musculoskeletal function in order to prevent falls. Different agents influencing bone metabolism by inhibition of bone resorption (estrogens, calcitonin, bisphosphonates) or stimulation of bone formation (fluoride) are used in manifest osteoporosis to increase bone stability. But the present efficacy to avoid further fractures has not been shown sufficiently for all available agents, so that a final evaluation and recommendation can't be done. Therapy decisions in manifest osteoporosis are often influenced by the possible side effects of the drugs (bleeding, gastrointestinal problems, joint pain), other, not bone-related effects of the drugs (improvement of climacteric complaints, pain relief) and other concomitant diseases and medications.