[Osteoporosis. The recent findings on its etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. II. Therapy]

Management of osteoporosis has as yet a number of aspects that are not well understood and at times even contradictory, also in view of the fact that some physicians have their "personal therapeutic approach". While on the one hand, the US FDA recognizes calcium, estrogens and calcitonin as the sole remedies for osteoporosis, on the other a variety of drugs have been studied and are at present in use. Among the drugs considered are those apt to reduce bone resorption (calcium, vitamin D metabolites, estrogens, calcitonin, diphosphonates, and ipriflavone) and those favouring bone formation (fluorides, anabolic androgens, PTH and ipriflavone). In addition, future approaches to osteoporosis therapy are considered which may make use of anti-interleukin 1 and 6, as well as of growth factors with specific osteotropism. At present, the physician must know what types of treatment are available for the individual patient with osteoporosis and be able to evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of each drug together with its side effects.