October 2004 Vol XXVIII Issue 10

Previous MonthNext Month


Osteoporosis in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Treatment

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at moderately increased risk for osteoporotic fracture. Bone density testing and osteoporosis management are recommended but best suited for IBD patients at greatest risk for fracture (ie, postmenopausal women, men over 60 years old, those with low body mass indices, glucocorticoid use, family history of osteoporosis, and malabsorption). Patient management includes modi-fication of osteoporosis risk factors, such as calcium and vitamin D supplementation, hormone deficiency correction, and smoking cessation. When indicated, bisphospho-nates such as risedronate and alendronate have been shown to increase bone mass and reduce fracture risk in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.