In fact, approximately 60,000 Canadians have developed osteoporosis because of steroid treatment. It is believed that as many as half of them or 30,000 patients have already suffered at least one vertebral fracture. Patients who received a placebo instead of alendronate went on to lose bone mass. A total of 208 participants using at least 7.5 mg per day of glucocorticoids, were randomised to receive either a 5 mg or 10 mg dose of alendronate or an oral placebo every day. The results seen with Fosamax were consistent regardless of age, gender, steroid dose or the disease that warranted the need for steroid treatment in the first place.
Bone is a living tissue.
In healthy individuals, a delicate balance struck between bone formation and bone resorption ensures that bones remain strong and are not prone to fractures. The chronic use of glucocorticoids or steroids eventually causes a modification of the bone remodelling process as it leads to a decrease in bone formation as well as an increase in bone resorption. The combination of these two effects can translate to an annual rate of bone loss as high as 15 percent. While women are generally more susceptible to develop osteoporosis, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis equally affects men and women. Fosamax was first approved in December 1995.