Treatment of Involutional Osteoporosis Using Calcitonin and Bisphosphanates

Osteoporosis is a process, throughout which the mineral and matrix content of bone steadily decreases in equal ratios below the normal ranges and chance for spontaneous fractures gradually increases. There is sizeable amount of clinical trials indicating the use of calcitonin or bisphosphanates in the treatment of osteoporosis. Bisphosphanates, with avid adherence to the hydroxyapatite crystals of bone, inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption. On the other hand, calcitonin prevents further bone loss by suppressing the activity of osteoclasts. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of the two treatments in the rectification of bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Our results revealed that either of the drugs are equally effective in the restoration of bone resorption with regard to dual-photon absorptiometry test, but on the basis of hemochemical laboratory data, calcitonin provides greater increments in alkaline phosphatase, calcium, ionized calcium than those of etidronate.